A routine flight from Tenerife to Iceland turned into an eight-hour ordeal when fierce winds forced a Boeing 737 Max to abandon multiple landing attempts and divert more than 800 miles away to Glasgow, Scotland.
Failed Landing Attempts in Iceland
Flight NO4925, operated by Italian airline Neos, departed from Tenerife in the Canary Islands, bound for Akureyri in northern Iceland. The flight, expected to take approximately five hours, extended into an exhausting journey due to severe weather conditions.
As the aircraft approached Akureyri, it descended as low as 700 feet but was unable to land due to strong wind gusts, according to flight tracking data from Flightradar24. The pilots then attempted a second landing at Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital, but were again thwarted by extreme conditions.
Faced with no immediate safe landing options, the aircraft diverted to Glasgow, Scotland, where it eventually touched down after spending eight hours in the air.
Unprecedented Weather Conditions
The diversion came amid a red weather warning issued by the Icelandic Meteorological Office, which recorded wind gusts exceeding 90 miles per hour in several locations, with sustained wind speeds surpassing 60 miles per hour. The dangerous conditions made it impossible for multiple flights to land safely.
Neos, a Milan-based airline owned by Alpitour, has not yet commented on the incident.
Growing Trend of Flight Disruptions
Thursday’s incident highlights a growing trend of severe weather disrupting European air travel. Earlier this year, Storm Éowyn wreaked havoc across the UK and Ireland, leading to widespread flight cancellations and diversions.
One Ryanair flight from London to Edinburgh was forced to abort two landing attempts before nearly diverting to Cologne, Germany, only to turn back toward London. Another Ryanair flight from Barcelona to Dublin was also unable to land after two failed attempts, ultimately diverting to London Stansted—300 miles from its intended destination.
As climate patterns continue to shift, meteorologists warn that high winds and extreme weather events could become more frequent, challenging airlines and passengers alike.
