A British Airways Airbus A319 operating flight BA1306 from London Heathrow to Aberdeen made an emergency diversion and landed at Manchester Airport after crew members detected smoke or fumes in the cockpit and cabin.

The pilot declared an emergency nearly half an hour into the flight, pressuring air traffic control to prioritize a safe landing at Manchester. The aircraft, registered as G‑DBCG, safely touched down and was greeted by airport fire and rescue services as a precaution.

According to airport officials, the smoke warning prompted immediate procedure activation. Two other aircraft in the vicinity were instructed to hold before Manchester could safely admit the diverted flight.

The runway remained operational, and the diverted plane was guided to a remote stand where passengers disembarked via standard steps. Everyone left the aircraft injury’s.

British Airways confirmed the diversion citing a “suspected technical issue” involving smoke detection. The airline expressed regret over travel disruption and noted that engineers performed thorough inspections before passengers were rebooked onto another flight to Aberdeen.

The delay totaled approximately three hours before passengers resumed their journey. No further safety concerns were reported.