Birmingham Airport runway shut after emergency landing by light aircraft

Birmingham Airport was forced to suspend all operations on Wednesday afternoon after a light aircraft made an emergency landing and suffered a right main landing gear collapse, prompting a full-scale response from emergency services and significant flight disruptions.

The incident occurred around 13:40, involving a Beech B200 Super King Air aircraft registered G-NIAA en route to Belfast, according to flight-tracking sources. The plane, carrying two crew members and one passenger, issued a Squawk 7700 emergency code before landing. All three individuals were treated at the scene, with one sustaining minor injuries, confirmed West Midlands Police.

Emergency personnel, including fire and ambulance services, responded swiftly, and the aircraft was seen surrounded by responders on the tarmac. Images circulating online show the white aircraft stationary on the runway with emergency vehicles nearby.

The airport’s runway was closed at 14:48 and was expected to remain shut until at least 20:00, according to a statement posted by Birmingham Airport on X (formerly Twitter). As of early evening, at least 11 outbound flights were cancelled, and multiple others, including services from Ryanair, easyJet, TUI, Aer Lingus, and Jet2, were delayed or diverted. Jet2 flights from Faro and Lanzarote were rerouted to Manchester.

A twice-daily Emirates service was among those significantly delayed, reportedly by around four hours.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described the disruption as “minimal” but acknowledged its impact: “We understand how frustrating this is for passengers.”

Birmingham Airport has urged all travellers to check flight status with their airlines before heading to the airport. The situation remains fluid as authorities continue to assess the runway and investigate the cause of the emergency landing.