easyJet A320 took off from incorrect runway intersection at London Luton Airport

The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has published details of a serious incident involving an easyJet Airbus A320-214 that departed London Luton Airport using a runway intersection rather than the full runway length that had been used for its take-off performance calculations.

The occurrence, which took place on 13 June 2025, involved flight EZY2335 from Luton to Málaga, operated by Airbus A320-214 registration G-EZUK. The aircraft was carrying 180 passengers and six crew members. No injuries or damage were reported.

Incorrect runway usage during takeoff

According to the AAIB Bulletin 6/2026, the flight crew initially planned a departure from Intersection Alpha on Runway 25, and take-off performance calculations were carried out accordingly using electronic flight bags (EFBs).

However, during planning, the crew determined that due to the aircraft’s weight and prevailing environmental conditions, a departure from the intersection did not provide sufficient performance margins. A recalculation was therefore performed for a full-length runway departure, which was required to safely conduct the flight.

Despite this, the aircraft ultimately lined up and commenced its takeoff from the intersection position rather than the full runway length.

The AAIB noted that the crew did not detect the discrepancy during the takeoff roll. The aircraft became airborne normally and continued the flight to Málaga without further incident.

Detection after departure

The error was not identified until later that day when the operator’s Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) system flagged the discrepancy between the planned and actual takeoff parameters.

The aircraft subsequently returned to normal service after routine checks.

Safety analysis: procedural breakdown and human factors

The AAIB concluded that the aircraft departed using a shorter take-off run than that used in performance calculations, meaning the operational assumptions did not match the actual runway conditions at departure.

The report highlights that opportunities existed to prevent the error, including earlier verification of the departure point and clearer reinforcement of runway position awareness during pre-departure procedures.

The investigation also points to habitual operational behaviour and confirmation bias as contributing factors, with crews accustomed to intersection departures potentially overlooking the requirement to reposition for full-length takeoff under certain weight conditions.

In addition, workload during pre-departure preparations may have contributed to reduced situational awareness.

Operator response

Following the incident, the operator introduced safety actions aimed at improving procedural safeguards, particularly around take-off performance validation and ensuring alignment between calculated runway length and actual departure position.

These measures are intended to better “trap” similar configuration errors before takeoff.

AAIB classification

The event was classified as a serious incident under UK reporting criteria. No technical malfunction was identified, and the aircraft type—Airbus A320-214—performed within normal operational limits once airborne.