A Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) departed from London was forced to declare a mid-air emergency and land 300 miles from its original destination. Flight LX325, operated by an Airbus A320neo took off from London Heathrow Airport at 5.19pm yesterday, APril 8, and was en route to Zurich, reaching a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet as it crossed the English Channel.

However, when the aircraft reached Belgian airspace the crew declared an aerial emergency. The flight crew contacted Air Traffic Control (ATC) and transmitted a Squawk 7700 code—the international signal for a general emergency. Flight LX325 was then forced to make an unscheduled landing in Belgium on Monday evening.

The aircraft performed a sharp turn over central Belgium and initiated a rapid descent towards Brussels Airport (BRU).

Emergency services at Brussels Airport were placed on standby as a standard precaution, a common procedure when a “7700” code is active.

Squawk 7700 is a universal aviation transponder code set by pilots to indicate a general emergency to Air Traffic Control. It immediately signals distress on radar displays, allowing for priority handling, emergency service preparation, and cleared airspace.

It can be used for a range of concerns, including:

At 7.26pm local time (6.24 BST) flight LX325 landed on runway 07L in Brussels and was met by firetrucks on the taxiway.

It is unknown at this time why the aircraft was forced to divert. This comes just weeks after a Ryanair flight had to be diverted back to Manchester Airport after declaring a mid-air emergency on March 24.

Bound for Sandefjord Airport, Torp, in Norway, the plane was due to land at 10.24am, with everything appearing to be going well for the first 40 minutes of the journey.

However, while flying at 37,000 feet above the North Sea, the crew abruptly issued a Squawk 7700. The Ryanair plane was kept under close watch by Air Traffic Control as it descended back to Manchester for a priority landing.