When passengers board EasyJet flight U22058 from Heraklion to Manchester, they expect a routine four-hour journey across Europe. But in the summer of 2025, this specific flight number made headlines twice in five weeks after separate aircraft operating the route declared mid-air emergencies and diverted to Paris.
Both incidents ended safely. Yet the coincidence raises questions about what actually happened at 38,000 feet over France.
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Medical Crisis Forces First Paris Diversion
On the evening of July 1, 2025, an Airbus A320neo departed Heraklion at 20:57 Greek time with Manchester as its destination. The aircraft, registered G-UZEF, was barely six months old.
Everything ran normally until the plane reached French airspace. At 38,000 feet, the crew activated squawk 7700 on their transponder. This four-digit code tells air traffic controllers one thing: we have an emergency.
Within minutes, flight tracking services across Europe recorded the alert. AIRLIVE and AirNav Radar both logged the emergency declaration in real time.
At 22:12 British Summer Time, the reason became clear. A passenger required immediate medical attention. The crew made the call to divert rather than continue to Manchester, another hour away.
The July 1 Timeline:
- 20:57 EEST: Departure from Heraklion
- Cruise altitude reached over France
- 22:12 BST: Diversion to Paris CDG confirmed
- 22:17 BST: Safe landing on runway 26R
- Aircraft parked at Terminal 2 for medical assistance
Paris Charles de Gaulle sits roughly two-thirds of the way between Heraklion and Manchester. For a medical emergency, it offered the fastest route to hospital facilities.
Five Weeks Later, Hydraulic Problems Strike
August 6, 2025 brought a different kind of trouble for the same flight number.
Another Airbus A320, this time an older model registered as G-EZTJ, took off from Heraklion at 15:23 local time. The departure was already delayed by 28 minutes from the scheduled 14:55 slot.
Over France, the crew again squawked 7700. This time, the problem was mechanical. Flight tracking data confirmed by Flight Emergency and AirNav Radar pointed to a hydraulic leak.
Hydraulic systems run the critical functions on modern aircraft. Landing gear, brakes, flight controls, flaps. When hydraulic fluid starts leaking, pilots don’t wait to see how bad it gets. They land.
The crew diverted to Paris CDG, touching down around 17:24 BST. The aircraft was grounded for inspection and repairs.
Why the Same Route Saw Two Emergencies
Aviation incidents cluster in patterns sometimes, but two emergencies on the same flight number within five weeks stands out. The explanation is straightforward: these were completely unrelated events.
The July incident involved a passenger medical issue, something no aircraft maintenance or crew training can prevent. Medical emergencies happen on commercial flights regularly. Airlines train crews in first aid, but when someone needs hospital care, the nearest suitable airport wins.
The August problem was purely mechanical. A hydraulic leak on a different aircraft with different maintenance history. The only connection between the incidents was geography and flight number.
The Heraklion to Manchester route crosses France regardless of which aircraft flies it. Paris CDG handles A320 operations 24/7, has full emergency response capabilities, and sits at the logical diversion point for emergencies over French airspace.
What Passengers Need to Know
Both diversions added hours to passenger travel times. The aircraft landed safely, but rebooking, accommodation, and the stress of an emergency landing affect everyone on board.
EasyJet operates hundreds of flights daily across Europe. The airline maintains strict maintenance schedules, and crews train extensively for emergency scenarios. These two incidents represent the safety systems working correctly.
When something goes wrong at altitude, crews have protocols. Declare the emergency. Contact air traffic control. Choose the safest airport. Get the aircraft on the ground. In both U22058 cases, that’s exactly what happened.
The Aviation Safety Net
Modern commercial aviation builds safety through redundancy. Multiple hydraulic systems back each other up. Medical kits stock planes for in-flight health crises. Air traffic control prioritizes emergency traffic immediately.
The squawk 7700 code acts as an instant alert across the entire air traffic network. Controllers see it, respond within seconds, and coordinate emergency services on the ground. Both EasyJet diversions triggered this network.
For passengers on future U22058 flights, the statistics remain reassuring. Millions of flights operate safely every year. Two emergencies on the same route number, while notable, don’t indicate any systemic problem with the aircraft type, the route, or the airline.
The real story here is how aviation safety protocols caught two completely different problems, responded appropriately, and got everyone on the ground without injuries. Emergency landings make news because they’re dramatic. But they’re also proof that when something goes wrong, the systems work.
Flight U22058 continues operating between Heraklion and Manchester. Different aircraft, different crews, same destination. For the passengers who experienced those July and August diversions, their flights became statistics in aviation’s safety record. Uncomfortable, delayed, but ultimately safe.
