Malta Air Boeing 737-800 lands in Manchester with only six minutes of fuel left
A Malta Air Boeing 737-800 flying from Pisa to Glasgow ran out of fuel and, after several diverted attempts, touched down in Manchester with roughly six minutes of fuel remaining.
Malta Air’s Boeing 737-800, operating a service from Pisa International Airport to Glasgow, loaded additional fuel to offset strong anticipated headwinds. A violent storm at Glasgow forced the crew to abort two landing attempts, leading them to request diversion to England for refuelling. Manchester Airport initially denied the request, so the pilots redirected toward Edinburgh, but wind shear caused another unsuccessful approach.
The crew then declared an emergency and returned to Manchester, landing with only 363 kg of fuel—well below the minimum six-minute reserve. The AAIB’s investigation concluded that the aircraft’s fuel reserves fell significantly under the required final reserve level, underscoring the impact of unexpected wind conditions on fuel consumption and the critical role of reserve fuel policies.
