Malta Air 737 landed at Manchester with critically low fuel after diversion refusal

A Boeing 737-800 flown by Malta Air, part of the Ryanair Group, landed at Manchester with critically low fuel after the airport wrongly refused its diversion request, according to the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch.

The aircraft had been operating a flight from Pisa to Glasgow Prestwick on 3 October last year, at a time when a large storm system was affecting Scotland. While trying to land at Prestwick, the crew carried out two windshear escape manoeuvres. Fuel stood at roughly 3,500kg at that point, and the crew asked to divert to Manchester.

Manchester was available as an alternate for the Ryanair Group because the airline had a handling agent there. The airport's policy is to take diverting aircraft when there is space on the ground, and to always accept emergency diversions. But its airfield control told air traffic control the handling agent could not accept the flight, and that refusal was relayed by Prestwick controllers to the crew.

The inquiry says the reason for the refusal was not established, but it appeared to stem from a communications breakdown between units within Manchester airport. Both the airport's and the handling agent's policies meant the request should have been granted, the investigation found.

Manchester's operator has since said decisions about accepting diversions do not sit with the handling agent.

After the refusal, and having weighed the windshear conditions at Glasgow, the aircraft continued to Manchester, where it landed with 363kg of fuel. That is well below the 1,100kg final reserve threshold, and 240kg remained before the engines were shut down on stand. The inquiry notes that the aircraft would have used 120kg per minute had it been required to go around.