Guidance issued to airports after low fuel ‘mayday’ emergency
A TUI plane carrying holidaymakers home from Cancun was forced to issue a mayday emergency due to running dangerously low on fuel.
The flight, with 300 people onboard, was scheduled to land at Manchester but had to be diverted to East Midlands Airport due to high winds in the Northwest.
It was then turned away from East Midlands Airport due to capacity constraints, so then went to nearby Birmingham Airport to land.
The problems didn’t end there.
The TUI flight had to abort its first attempt to land due to the weather, and was then stuck behind another plane given priority despite already issuing the mayday fuel warning.
It eventually landed safely with 1,250kg of fuel on board, which is much less than the safe minimum.
The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) issued a report on the incident.
It said: “Safety action has been taken to clarify the process for determining and communicating airport capacity for diversions, and for the prioritisation of aircraft that have declared an emergency.”
Related News Stories: Guidance issued to airports after low fuel 'mayday' emergency Fuel Emergencies: Guidance for Controllers | SKYbrary Aviation Safety Distress and Urgency Procedures Declare an Emergency or Not? - PilotWorkshops Comparison of Minimum Fuel, Emergency Fuel and Reserve Fuel ... faa regulations - Do I have to declare an emergency if I cut into fuel ... What Happens When You Declare An Emergency With ATC ... ICAO FPFM Overview, flight planning, Fuel Monitoring, Performance ... Does anyone use PAN-PAN? : r/flying ICAO changes for minimum and emergency fuel | IFALPA
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026