A Jet2 flight from Antalya, Turkey, to Manchester was forced to make an emergency landing after passengers reported a “loud bang” followed by a strong smell of burning chemicals in the cabin. The incident, which left several passengers vomiting, occurred just an hour and a half into the flight, which had departed at 11:45 pm on Tuesday.
One passenger, speaking to Manchester Evening News, described the scene, saying, “People sat near the left wing looking out the window, vomiting and unable to put their feet on the floor. Hardly any information was given, which made it worse.”
Flight tracking data showed the plane making an abrupt U-turn shortly after departure, returning to Antalya. Jet2 confirmed that the crew followed standard procedure in response to a technical issue, safely landing back at Antalya Airport.
“We arranged for all customers to be provided with hotel accommodation overnight,” a Jet2 spokesperson stated, adding that arrangements were made to fly passengers back to Manchester the following day. “We would of course like to apologise for the delay to their travel plans.”
The unexpected ordeal unfolded as Jet2 was celebrating the recent launch of its Summer 2026 programme, which includes new city break options to destinations like Budapest, Prague, and Paris.
An investigation into the technical fault is ongoing, and Jet2 has not disclosed further details on the specific cause of the issue.
