Birmingham Airport has reopened its runway and resumed operations hours after all flights were suspended due to an “aircraft incident”.
A light aircraft was forced to do an emergency landing at the airport while en route to Belfast International Airport when developed landing gear problems.
Woodgate Aviation, the owner of the plane, said “The aircraft returned to Birmingham and made an emergency landing and the main under-carriage collapsed on touch down.”
The airport has asked that all passengers check flight details with their airlines and follow advice issued by them.
“We understand the frustration and apologise for the disruption this has caused.
“Our teams have worked as quickly as possible, in line with strict protocols, which must be followed to ensure a safe reopening of the runway following a prolonged closure.”
Police have confirmed one person was left with minor injuries following the incident.
Pictures on social media appear to show a small propeller plane on the runway, with emergency services in attendance.
Key Points
- One person injured after plane makes emergency landing
- All flights held and runway temporarily closed at Birmingham Airport
- Flights diverted and one turned back
- Picture shows small propeller plane lying on the runway
- Woodgate Aviation confirms involvement in 'aircraft incident'
- Runway reopens and operations resume
AAIB to investigate incident
21:38
,
Bryony Gooch
The Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB) has said it has started an investigation into the incident, with “a multi-disciplinary team including inspectors with expertise in aircraft operations, engineering and recorded data” deployed to Birmingham Airport.
Woodgate Aviation has said it will cooperate with Air Accident Investigators and airport services.
Everything that has happened so far
21:17
,
Bryony Gooch
- A light aircraft was on a flight to Belfast International Airport when it developed landing gear problems.
- The aircraft returned to Birmingham and made an emergency landing and the main under-carriage collapsed on touch down.
- One person suffered minor injuries, according to the police.
- Two crew members and a passenger were on board but uninjured.
- Flights were cancelled and diverted from 2pm til 8pm.
- A number of people have found themselves stranded in the midst of the chaos.
Recap: Free pint of beer offered to stranded passengers
21:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Consumer group the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) offered stranded passengers a free pint if they showed their boarding pass at the Great British Beer Festival, which was taking place in the nearby National Exhibition Centre.
Passengers have been told to check the status of their flight before coming to the airport, with both check-in and security also temporarily shut.
Recapn pictures: The light aircraft on the runway
20:30
,
Bryony Gooch
Watch: Small aircraft seen on runway
20:15
,
Bryony Gooch
Runway reopens and operations resume
19:58
,
Bryony Gooch
Birmingham Airport has reported that its runway has reopened and all operation have resumed.
“Following the aircraft incident today, the runway has reopened and operations have resumed.
“All passengers must check flight details with their airlines and follow advice issued by them. We understand the frustration and apologise for the disruption this has caused.
“Our teams have worked as quickly as possible, in line with strict protocols, which must be followed to ensure a safe reopening of the runway following a prolonged closure.”
Who are Woodgate Aviation?
19:45
,
Bryony Gooch
The plane which crashed on the runway is Woodgate Aviation, self-described as a leading provider of corporate, business, private and general aviation services in Northern Ireland since 1969.
The plane was preparing to return to its home base in Belfast when things went wrong.
“The aircraft remains on the runway and Woodgate Aviation will be co-operating fully with Air Accident investigators and airport services.
“We would like to pay tribute to the professionalism of our colleagues and the emergency services at the airport for their prompt action,” Woodgate Aviation said in a statement.
UK flight delays: What rights do you have to compensation for cancelled flights?
19:33
,
Bryony Gooch
Flights cancelled into tomorrow
19:23
,
Bryony Gooch
As Birmingham Airport recovers from its closure, its departures board shows flights are set to be affected into the early hours of tomorrow morning.
A flight to Amsterdam scheduled to leave at 6am has been cancelled and other flights have orange alert symbols nearby them on the departures board, according to the website.
Plane undercarriage collapsed, says Woodgate Aviation
19:09
,
Bryony Gooch
Woodgate Aviation has said that its plane developed landing gear problems en route to Belfast.
“The aircraft returned to Birmingham and made an emergency landing and the main under-carriage collapsed on touch down.”
Recap: How big is Birmingham Airport?
18:44
,
Bryony Gooch
According to its website, Birmingham Airport is the seventh-largest airport in the UK and the third largest outside London, handling approximately 11.5 million passengers in 2023.
Home to around 30 airlines, it offers over 130 direct routes and over 450 one-stop destinations from its one terminal.
New mum speaks of flight diverted to East Midlands airport
18:30
,
Bryony Gooch
Faye Melhuish, who arrived home from a holiday in Spain with her six-month-old daughter, said her plane could not land at Birmingham Airport and had to be diverted.
The 38-year-old said: “We flew from Spain and we were due to land here at 2.20pm. Then, in the air we were circling to see if we could land.
“The captain basically said we are going to have to go to East Midlands (Airport).”
Ms Melhuish said she had to wait for around an hour for a coach to bring her back to Birmingham Airport.
She said: “It could have been a lot worse. We were worried we were going to end up sitting on the runway at East Midlands.”
Speaking about her daughter, Ms Melhuish said: “It’s her first time on a plane and her first time on a coach.”
Woodgate Aviation confirms involvement in 'aircraft incident'
18:14
,
Bryony Gooch
Woodgate Aviation said one of its Beechcraft fixed-wing aircraft was involved in an emergency landing at Birmingham Airport on Wednesday.
It said in a statement: “The turbo-prop aircraft was on a flight to Belfast International Airport when it developed landing gear problems. The aircraft returned to Birmingham and made an emergency landing and the main under-carriage collapsed on touch down.
“Two crew members and a passenger were on board but were uninjured.
“The aircraft remains on the runway and Woodgate Aviation will be co-operating fully with Air Accident investigators and airport services.
“We would like to pay tribute to the professionalism of our colleagues and the emergency services at the airport for their prompt action.”
In pictures: People wait for flights at Birmingham
18:07
,
Bryony Gooch
Operations to remain suspended until 8pm
17:46
,
Bryony Gooch
Birmingham Airport has issued an update to say that operations are expected to remain suspended until at least 8pm.
⚠️ BHX Update - Runway Temporarily Closed pic.twitter.com/7qiDEOrGk4
— Birmingham Airport (@bhx_official) August 6, 2025
Flight delays are 'annoying', says couple travelling from Zurich
17:40
,
Bryony Gooch
Paul, aged 62, and his 55-year-old wife Corinne, who did not give their surnames, travelled to Wales for six days from Zurich to visit their niece and said the delay to their flight home is “annoying”.
Corinne said: “I just hope we get back tonight because he has a very important business appointment tomorrow.
“I’m just surprised it’s been three hours (since the emergency landing) and they closed everything.”
Paul said: “It’s definitely a little bit annoying, certainly when things don’t go to plan. It would be nice if we had more information.”
The couple said they have been given a new flight time for later this evening.
Travel plans left up in the air as Birmingham Airport is closed
17:32
,
Bryony Gooch
Camile Monteleone, a visual merchandiser, was meant to fly home to Barcelona on Wednesday evening after working in the UK for three days, but does not know if her flight from Birmingham Airport is cancelled.
The 30-year-old said: “I don’t have any news. I’m like ‘what is going on’. It does not say anything on the Ryanair app about the flight.
“I’m just waiting for information. I have to let people know I’m here, stuck at the airport. I cannot do anything else.”
Watch: Birmingham Airport incident- small aircraft seen on runway
17:26
,
Bryony Gooch
Wholesale cancellation of flights from Birmingham begins
17:20
,
Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent
More than 20 flights to and from Birmingham have now been cancelled as a result of the runway closure. At least 3,000 passengers have had their travel plans wrecked.
Britain's biggest budget airline, easyJet, has axed afternoon departures to Belfast International, Faro in Portugal and Palma de Mallorca, along with the corresponding inbound flights.
Other airlines are now making substantial cancellations to and from Birmingham because of the runway closure.
Air France grounded two departures from Birmingham to Paris. Lufthansa has cancelled its flights linking Frankfurt and Munich with Birmingham.
Helvetic has axed a round trip from Zurich, and SAS has done the same from Copenhagen. Aer Lingus has grounded a total of four flights to and from Belfast City.
Birmingham Airport website up and running again
17:15
,
Bryony Gooch
Not long after Birmingham Airport announced the its closure, thousands flocked to the website to check their flight status.
The website crashed, showing an error message.
Now, the online platform has returned back to normal, allowing travellers to check the status of their journeys.
Free pint of beer offered to stranded passengers
17:05
,
Holly Evans
Consumer group the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) offered stranded passengers a free pint if they showed their boarding pass at the Great British Beer Festival, which was taking place in the nearby National Exhibition Centre.
Passengers have been told to check the status of their flight before coming to the airport, with both check-in and security also temporarily shut.
How a 41-minute flight closed one of the UK’s busiest airport
16:55
,
Holly Evans
Thousands of passengers are facing travel delays and disruption after all flights were suspended from Birmingham Airport due to an “aircraft incident”.
The incident is believed to have involved a light aircraft whose landing gear would not deploy as it tried to travel to Belfast around 1pm on Wednesday.
At least 18 flights have since been diverted. Birmingham Airport’s website also appears to have crashed after passengers were told to check their flight status.
Read the full article here:
Flight delays and cancellations listed Birmingham Airport website
16:46
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Holly Evans
For those hoping to catch a flight from Birmingham Airport this afternoon, their website will likely prove a disappointing experience as it lists out a swathe of cancelled or delayed flights.
The 1.40pm flight to Istanbul and the 2.30pm flight to Paris have both been cancelled, while trips to Antalya, the Isle of Man, Bucharest and Rome have all been delayed until 7pm.
Dozens of other flights have no time estimations available, with passengers urged to contact their airlines.
Watch: Small aircraft seen on Birmingham Airport runway
16:33
,
Holly Evans
How big is Birmingham Airport?
16:23
,
Holly Evans
According to its website, Birmingham Airport is the seventh-largest airport in the UK and the third largest outside London, handling approximately 11.5 million passengers in 2023.
Home to around 30 airlines, it offers over 130 direct routes and over 450 one-stop destinations from its one terminal.
Three people treated at the scene by paramedics and discharged
16:10
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Holly Evans
Three people were treated at the scene of an emergency landing at Birmingham Airport, West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) said.
“We were called at 1.45pm to an incident involving a light aircraft at Birmingham Airport. Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) paramedics and three paramedic officers were sent to the scene,” WMAS said in a statement.
“Upon arrival we found three patients from the aircraft, all of whom were assessed and discharged at the scene.”
Annoyed holidaymakers take to social media
16:08
,
Holly Evans
Irritated travellers have taken to social media to vent their frustration at the delays, with one person taking to X to write: “A lot of very annoyed passengers - staff not giving any info, only know what has happened because of BBC News.”
Another woman said that her son’s flight had been cancelled from Amsterdam, while another wrote: “Questionable communication from BHX. I’m in Düsseldorf about to fly back this evening and the Eurowings team here are blissfully unaware of the closure and are checking everyone in as usual for this evenings flight to BHX. I had to show them the BBC news feed. Now what ?”
Flight cancellations begin
16:01
,
Simon Calder
With aircraft, pilots and cabin crew out of position, airlines have begun to cancel outbound flights from Birmingham airport.
The cancellations so far:
- Aer Lingus to Belfast City (two)
- Air France to Paris
- Brussels Airlines to Brussels
Under air passengers’ rights rules, travellers whose flights are cancelled are entitled to be flown to their final destination as soon as possible, including on rival airlines if seats are available. But during the summer peak many flights are fully booked.
Airlines that cancel flights are also obliged to provide hotel rooms and meals as required until the passengers can travel to their destination.
Airport's runway closed until 5.30pm, reports say
15:59
,
Holly Evans
All departures and arrivals to Birmingham Airport have been stopped until 5.30pm, The Telegraph has reported.
Holidaymakers have been advised to check with their airline before travelling to the airport.
Investigation launched by police
15:51
,
Holly Evans
Birmingham Airport Police, which forms part of West Midlands Police, have said that an investigation has been launched and the Civil Aviation Authority has been informed.
The Civil Aviation Authority has been informed and the airport has suspended operations as an investigation is carried out.
— Birmingham Airport Police✈️ (@BHX_Police) August 6, 2025
Travellers are urged to follow updates from @bhx_official for further information.
Diversions of incoming flights to alternate airports increase to 18
15:47
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Simon Calder
Here’s a list of all the diversions caused to the closure of Birmingham Airport’s runway.
East Midlands: Air France from Paris, Ryanair from Murcia, Jet2 from Kalamata, Preveza and Mahon, Tui from Rhodes.
Manchester: Jet2 from Lanzarote, Malaga and Faro, Ryanair from Bucharest, Turkish Airlines from Istanbul, Tui from Kos.
Stansted: Ryanair from Malaga and Palma, Jet2 from Skiathos.Luton: Jet2 from Kefalonia, easyJet from Corfu and Heraklion.
In addition, an Aer Lingus Regional aircraft from Belfast City was about halfway across the Irish Sea when it turned back to its starting point.
The Brussels Airlines flight from the Belgian capital has been cancelled, along with the return leg from Birmingham.
One person injured after plane makes emergency landing
15:40
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Holly Evans
West Midlands Police said one person had suffered minor injuries after a small aircraft made an emergency landing at Birmingham Airport.
In a post on the Birmingham Airport Police X account, the force said: “We are at Birmingham Airport this afternoon after a small aircraft was involved in an emergency landing at around 1.40pm.
“Officers are among the emergency crews at the scene and one person has been reported to have minor injuries.
“The Civil Aviation Authority has been informed and the airport has suspended operations as an investigation is carried out.”
We are at Birmingham Airport this afternoon after a small aircraft was involved in an emergency landing at around 1.40pm.
— Birmingham Airport Police✈️ (@BHX_Police) August 6, 2025
Officers are among the emergency crews at the scene and one person has been reported to have minor injuries. pic.twitter.com/GjLyRzuX4A
What has Birmingham Airport said?
15:31
,
Holly Evans
In a statement, Birmingham Airport said that all flights are on hold and the runway has been temporarily closed due to an “aircraft incident”.
BHX Update - Runway Temporarily Closed pic.twitter.com/7sdsa6r03i
— Birmingham Airport (@bhx_official) August 6, 2025
How the 41-minute flight played out
15:28
,
Simon Calder
According to data on Flightradar24, the aircraft involved was a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air twin turboprop.
It is listed as belonging to Woodgate Aviation, and appears to have been destined for its home base, George Best Belfast City.
It took off at 1.16pm, climbed to 5,750 feet and almost immediately entered a holding pattern.
At 1.35pm the aircraft overflew the runway at just 300 feet. It is not clear if the pilot was attempting to land or enabling air traffic controllers to inspect the undercarriage.
The Flightradar data shows the aircraft making contact with the ground at 1.57pm.
Birmingham Airport website down
15:24
,
Holly Evans
The website for Birmingham Airport has gone down, following the advice for passengers to check their flight status.
It has since been replaced by an error code.
Thousands of passengers delayed or diverted after Birmingham airport 'incident'
15:23
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Holly Evans
Birmingham airport’s runway is closed after what is described as “an aircraft incident” – believed to involve a light aircraft whose landing gear would not deploy.
The condition of the pilot and any passengers is not known.
Announcing the closure on X (formerly Twitter), Birmingham airport said: “Following an aircraft incident, the runway is temporarily closed. We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause.
“We will keep passengers already at the airport informed, and those due to travel later today are advised to check the status of their flight before coming to the airport.”
The last flight to touch down before the closure was the Ryanair flight from Perpignan, which landed at 1.52pm. Two minutes later an easyJet flight to Tenerife took off.
BHX Update - Runway Temporarily Closed pic.twitter.com/7sdsa6r03i
— Birmingham Airport (@bhx_official) August 6, 2025
Picture shows small propeller plane lying on the runway
15:20
,
Holly Evans
Flights diverted and one turned back
15:19
,
Simon Calder
The last flight to touch down before the closure was the Ryanair flight from Perpignan, which landed at 1.52pm.
Two minutes later an easyJet flight to Tenerife took off. Diversions of incoming flights to alternate airports began immediately:
To East Midlands, Air France are landing from Paris, Ryanair from Murcia, Jet2 from Preveza.
In Manchester, a Jet2 plane is set to land from Malaga and to Stansted, a Ryanair flight is due to land from Malaga.
In addition, an Aer Lingus Regional aircraft from Belfast City was about halfway across the Irish Sea when it turned back to its starting point.
All flights held and runway temporarily closed at Birmingham Airport
15:16
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Holly Evans
All flights are being held at Birmingham Airport following an “aircraft incident”, the airport said.
“Following an aircraft incident, the runway is temporarily closed,” the airport said in a statement on X posted shortly after 2.40pm on Wednesday.
“We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause.
“We will keep passengers already at the airport informed and those due to travel later today are advised to check the status of their flight before coming to the airport.
“We will continue to issue updates when we can.”
