Birmingham Airport Halts Operations After Emergency Landing Forces Runway Closure; Over 100 Flights Disrupted

Flights were halted at Birmingham Airport this afternoon after a private aircraft made an emergency landing, forcing the airport to suspend all operations until at least 7.30pm. 

The aircraft, a Beech King Air 200, declared an in-flight emergency shortly after takeoff at approximately 1.30pm, prompting an immediate return to the airport and a subsequent runway closure. One person sustained minor injuries, according to emergency responders.

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The twin-engined aircraft, operated by Woodgate Aviation and en route to Belfast, is reported to have experienced a landing gear fault that led to its precautionary return. 

Flightradar24 data indicates the plane performed a low pass over the runway, commonly used to visually confirm whether landing gear is deployed—before attempting a final approach. 

The plane came to rest off the runway with what appeared to be collapsed landing gear. Emergency services, including paramedics and hazardous response teams, arrived on the scene within minutes. Three people aboard were assessed and discharged at the scene.

The closure of Birmingham’s sole active runway caused widespread flight disruptions, with at least 21 incoming flights diverted to other airports including Manchester, Stansted, Luton, and East Midlands. 

Around 60 departures and 56 arrivals were scheduled during the affected window, resulting in nearly 116 impacted flights. 

Local news outlets reported delays of over two hours for outbound flights and an average arrival delay of 42 minutes. The airport’s website was also taken offline due to heavy user traffic, further complicating access to real-time updates for passengers.

The Beech King Air 200 involved is registered as G-NIAA and is 44 years old, according to Civil Aviation Authority records. It is owned by Isle of Man-based Bluesky Investments Ltd. and has previously been used as a medical evacuation aircraft. 

Woodgate Aviation, which operates the aircraft, has not issued a public comment. The company's website notes the aircraft’s use in urgent patient transport and organ transfer missions, although it is not known how many passengers were on board during today’s incident.

The Civil Aviation Authority has been informed and an investigation is underway. Passengers at the airport described uncertainty and limited communication, with some being advised to wait at the nearby National Exhibition Centre. 

Local news reports suggest that stranded travellers expressed concerns about missed connections and overnight delays, while others remained calm and attempted to find alternate accommodations.

This is the second major aviation disruption in the UK in less than ten days, following a radar failure that halted flights across London airspace last week. 

Aviation analysts noted the cumulative effect of back-to-back incidents during peak summer travel and questioned the resilience of UK air traffic infrastructure under sustained pressure.