Mid-air scare: Passenger flight forced to make emergency landing after windscreen damage
Published June 08, 2026
A passenger airplane made an emergency landing in Southampton after suffering a windscreen crack while enroute from the State of Guernsey to Manchester.
Aurigny flight GR678, operated by an ATR 72 aircraft, was successfully diverted from its original course and made an emergency landing at Southampton Airport on Sunday, June 7, 2026, as a precautionary measure.
Following the incident, the airline shared an update: “In line with standard operating procedures, the flight crew carried out a precautionary emergency landing.”
Fortunately, the passenger and the crew aboard the plane remained safe and no substantial damages to the aircraft were reported.
The exact number of passengers has not been revealed by the airline. The ATR 72 has a maximum passenger seating capacity of 72.
The carrier arranged a coach for passengers to reach Manchester and announced that a different aircraft will be used for return service to Guernsey, a self-governing British Crown Dependency located in the English Channel, just 30 miles off the coast of Normandy.
Aurigny currently operates a fleet of 7 active aircraft. This primarily consists of five ATR 72-600 regional turboprops alongside smaller Dornier 228 or damp-leased Twin Otter aircraft used for short inter-island hops.
