Emirates A380 diverts to Frankfurt after declaring emergency

An Emirates Airbus A380 flying to London Heathrow declared a general emergency and diverted to Frankfurt Airport on Thursday, the airline said.

Flight EK31, an A380-800 registered A6-EDX, departed Dubai International Airport at 07:30 UTC on a scheduled seven-hour, twenty-minute service to Heathrow. Roughly six hours in, cruising at 40,000 feet, the crew squawked 7700, the code for a general emergency. The aircraft left its cruising altitude in a rapid descent and requested vectors to Frankfurt.

Emirates confirmed the diversion, citing an emergency on board. The airline has not disclosed the nature of the situation.

It arranged a recovery leg, with a new departure from Frankfurt to Heathrow set for 17:30 local time. Air traffic control and ground staff at Frankfurt coordinated emergency handling and cleared a runway for the landing.