EasyJet pilot makes 360-degree turn at 37,000ft to let passengers enjoy the northern lights while flying from Iceland to Britain
- The pilot of easyJet flight U21806 delighted passengers returning to England
- Travellers snapped fantastic images of the phenomenon through plane windows
An easyJet flight made a 360-degree turn to allow its passengers to watch an ‘amazing display’ of the northern lights as it flew over the northern tip of the UK.
On Monday evening, passengers on flight U21806 from Reykjavik in Iceland to Manchester Airport were able to take pictures of the celestial spectacle after the pilot decided to perform the circular turn.
The controlled detour to the west of the Faroe Islands took just less than 10 minutes and occurred shortly after 8.30pm, while the Airbus A320 was flying at an altitude of 37,000ft (11,000m) and at a little under 500mph, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24.com.
One lucky couple, who had just got engaged in Iceland but were unable to witness the northern lights on the ground, snapped an incredible picture of the phenomenon from their plane window.
Adam Groves, a 27-year-old recruitment company owner from Lymm, Cheshire, snapped this incredible image of the aurora borealis from on board an EasyJet plane returning to Manchester from Reykjavik
Screenshot taken from FlightRadar24.com of easyJet flight U21806 (EZY82TZ) from Reykjavik, Iceland to Manchester on Monday evening, which took a 360 degree turn to make sure passengers could watch the Northern Lights
Adam Groves, a 27-year-old recruitment company owner from Lymm, Cheshire, booked a flight to Reykjavik to surprise his partner Jasmine Mapp, a fellow 27-year-old working in digital marketing, and propose to her under the northern lights.
Due to cloud cover, the couple were unable to catch a glimpse of the aurora on their holiday.
However, after Mr Groves’ successful proposal on a cliff on the Icelandic coast, he said seeing the spectacle on their flight home on Monday evening was ‘special’.
‘It was special – I went (to Iceland) with the intention of proposing to my girlfriend under the northern lights, so seeing it on our flight home was a great surprise,’ Mr Groves told the PA news agency.
‘We were out there for four nights in Iceland, but we didn’t get a chance to see the northern lights due to clouds.
‘On our flight home, the pilot told us that if we are able to see the lights he’ll do a turn to allow us to see it,’ Mr Groves said.
The northern lights have been visible in the UK this week (@mrmcgrath12/Twitter)
The Northern Lights seen at the South Shields Souter lighthouse in Tyne and Wear
Stonehenge was illuminated in a mystical light as the ancient stones were silhouetted against the wonderful Northern Lights
‘Around half an hour into our flight, the pilot dimmed the lights and we saw the (northern) lights.
‘At first, only the passengers on the left-hand side of the plane could see them, but we were sat on the opposite side.
‘The pilot turned the plane around so that passengers sitting on the right could see them too.’
A spokesperson from easyJet told PA: ‘We are pleased that the captain on our flight from Reykjavik to Manchester yesterday evening was able to perform a controlled manoeuvre in order to allow passengers to witness an amazing display from the air of one of nature’s greatest sights, the aurora borealis.
‘Our crew will always go above and beyond for our customers and we’re delighted to have been able to share this special view of the northern lights with them.’
Photographs of the northern lights taken by the easyJet passengers have been shared widely on social media, showing hues of green and pink lighting up the night sky.
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