Zurich-Bound United Flight Diverts to London After Emergency

A United Airlines flight from Zurich to New York was forced to make an unplanned landing in London on Tuesday after declaring an in-flight emergency.

The Boeing 767 departed Zürich Airport at 10:26am. Around 30 minutes into the flight, the aircraft transmitted squawk code 7700 — a general emergency signal — over French airspace. The code, which can indicate anything from a medical situation to a technical fault, remained active for approximately ten minutes before the crew switched back to a standard transponder code.

The aircraft then altered course, made a loop west of the English Channel, and landed safely at London Heathrow.

The cause of the emergency has not yet been disclosed by the airline or authorities.