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Birmingham Airport (BHX) experienced significant disruption today after a private aircraft made an emergency landing, forcing the closure of all arrivals and departures. The incident, which occurred just after 1:30 PM BST, involved a twin-engine Beech King Air 200 that reportedly suffered a landing gear failure.
The aircraft, operated by Northern Ireland-based charter company Woodgate Aviation, was en route to Belfast when it declared an in-flight emergency shortly after takeoff. Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 shows the plane made a right-hand turn and circled the airport before performing a low pass over the runway, a maneuver often used to allow ground crews to visually inspect the landing gear. It then made its final approach and landed safely, but pictures from the scene show the plane with its landing gear apparently collapsed on the side of the main runway.
Emergency services, including West Midlands Police and West Midlands Ambulance Service, swiftly responded. A spokesperson for the ambulance service confirmed that three people were on board the aircraft. All were assessed at the scene, and one person was treated for minor injuries before being discharged.
The airport was initially expected to reopen at 7:30 PM, but the closure caused widespread chaos, impacting thousands of passengers. According to flight data, 21 inbound flights were diverted to other airports, including Manchester and Stansted, and more than 116 flights in total—scheduled arrivals and departures—were disrupted. Several flights, including an AerLingus flight from Belfast and four more bound for Europe, were cancelled entirely.
Holidaymakers were advised by the airport to check with their airlines before traveling. The high volume of inquiries caused the Birmingham Airport website to crash, displaying a Cloudflare error message for several hours. This left many stranded passengers, like Gunnar Lauridsen, a 76-year-old on his way to Denmark, feeling frustrated and uncertain. He expressed concern about missing a connecting flight in Amsterdam. Others, like a couple from Zurich, were worried about missing important business appointments.
The airport’s official X (formerly Twitter) account continued to provide updates, advising those already at the airport that staff would keep them informed. In a surprising turn, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) offered a temporary refuge for stranded passengers, inviting them to its Great British Beer Festival at the nearby National Exhibition Centre (NEC), even offering free entry.
The aircraft involved, a 44-year-old Beech King Air 200 with the registration G-NIAA, has a history as an air ambulance, according to Civil Aviation Authority records. Woodgate Aviation's website notes that its King Air 200s are used for "Medi-Vac" services and transporting human organs for emergency transplants.
The incident is now under investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority, and the airport has since reopened. The disruption, however, has left a lasting impact on travelers, highlighting the fragility of air travel schedules and the ripple effects of a single emergency event.
