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07th Aug 2024

United Airlines flight forced to make emergency landing at Dublin airport

Ryan Price

The flight was nearing Iceland when it was forced to divert to Dublin.

A flight headed to the US was forced to make an emergency landing at Dublin Airport on Tuesday after pilots detected a technical glitch with the aircraft.

United Airlines flight UA119 left Edinburgh at around 11:45am yesterday bound for Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

Just over two hours into the journey, the pilots detected a hydraulic issue with the plane and sent a message to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) in Dublin.

The aircraft was travelling above the Atlantic Ocean and nearing Iceland when the decision was made to make a U-turn and head towards the Irish capital.

The aircraft landed on the runway in Dublin almost four hours after departure and a full emergency plan involving airport fire rescue and the Dublin Fire Department was put in place.

The Boeing 757-200 had to undergo maintenance and the flight was subsequently cancelled.

The glitch was due to an indicator light error on the flight deck and passengers were ushered off in Dublin following the unexpected detour.

A DAA spokesperson said: “DAA, the operator of Dublin Airport, can confirm that flight UA119, flying from Edinburgh to Chicago, diverted to Dublin Airport this afternoon, safely landing shortly before 3.30pm.”

A spokesperson for United Airlines stated: “United flight 119 diverted to Dublin to address an indicator light in the flight deck. The flight landed safely, and all passengers deplaned normally at the gate. We are rebooking our customers on alternative flights to get them to their final destinations as soon as possible.”

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