Three Ryanair mayday calls go out on same day

August 14, 2012

Three Ryanair flights approaching Valencia airport in Spain had to call mayday emergencies because of low fuel — two of them within three minutes of each other, it has emerged.

All three Ryanair aircraft had been diverted from Madrid, about an hour’s flight time from Valencia, because the Spanish capital was beset by serious thunderstorms two weeks ago.

It meant that other aircraft which were flying into Valencia, some of them also diverted from Madrid, had to remain in a holding pattern and give priority to the Ryanair flights to land.

Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara confirmed the low-fuel emergencies to the Sunday Independent on Friday. He said: “Due to thunderstorms over Madrid on Thursday (July 26), Spanish ATC (air traffic control) instructed Ryanair aircraft to divert to Valencia where they were placed in a hold pattern. Sometime later the aircraft advised ATC that they would not have sufficient fuel reserves to return to Madrid and were permitted to land in Valencia. All aircraft landed normally. Ryanair sincerely apologises to the passengers affected by these diversions, which were due to adverse weather.”

View the rest of the article at the Irish Independant.