Storm Fuel Emergency
Ryanair Flight Lands Safely Below Fuel Reserve During Storm Amy
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Ryanair had issued a storm pack the day before and sent email reminders on the day of the flight. The crew took extra fuel partly because they expected to use Prestwick’s shorter runway, as the longer runway was more affected by the winds.
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Manchester had been agreed as a suitable alternate airport before departure, given the more favourable weather conditions there.
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After the second failed approach at Prestwick, the pilots discussed declaring a Mayday to divert to Manchester but decided they had not yet reached the emergency threshold.
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When the pilots first requested a diversion to Manchester, it was refused without an explanation; they then requested Edinburgh, which was accepted after five minutes.
A Ryanair Boeing 737 carrying 171 passengers declared a fuel Mayday on October 3, 2025, during Storm Amy after failed landing attempts at two Scottish airports forced it to divert to Manchester. The aircraft touched down with just 363 kilograms of fuel—roughly 10 minutes of flying time—leaving no margin for another approach AAIB Report.
An Air Accidents Investigation Branch report found that air traffic control miscommunication delayed the diversion decision. The pilots faced repeated windshear warnings and did not consider closer airports like Newcastle despite mounting pressure GB News.
Storm Prep and the First Failed Approaches
Ryanair issued a storm pack the day before the flight and sent email reminders on October 3. The crew loaded extra fuel expecting to use Prestwick's shorter runway, which was less affected by strong winds Aviation A2Z. They took off from Pisa bound for Scotland with Manchester pre-selected as the alternate airport due to better weather conditions there.
Two attempted landings at Prestwick failed as windshear warnings triggered go-arounds. After the second abort, pilots discussed declaring a Mayday but decided they had not yet hit the emergency threshold The Aviation Hub. They requested diversion to Manchester, but air traffic control refused without explanation.
The Refused Diversion and Shift to Edinburgh
When Manchester was declined, pilots pivoted and requested Edinburgh instead. Air traffic control accepted that diversion after five minutes of delay Yahoo News UK. This shift cost critical time and fuel as Edinburgh was farther than Manchester and equally affected by the storm.
The aircraft made another approach at Edinburgh with fuel burning steadily. As fuel reserves dwindled, the situation became critical. The pilots finally declared the Mayday and redirected toward Manchester, the original alternate Derby Telegraph.
Landing With Fuel Reserves Exhausted
The Boeing 737-800 landed at Manchester with 363 kilograms remaining—below the required final reserve fuel for the flight. Standard regulations require pilots to carry enough fuel to reach an alternate airport plus 45 minutes of holding time The Aviation Hub. This aircraft landed with roughly 10 minutes of usable fuel left.
The AAIB report cited stress and heavy workload as reasons the pilots did not consider Newcastle Airport, which was closer and had better conditions. Breakdown in air traffic control communications also contributed by delaying the decision to divert early GB News. All 171 passengers and six crew landed safely.
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