On the evening of 22 August 2025, easyJet flight U24429 from Lyon to Porto declared an emergency shortly after take-off and turned back to France. The Airbus A320, already running an hour behind schedule, broadcast the international distress signal — squawk 7700 — at 20,000 feet before landing safely back at Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport 45 minutes after departure.
The cause, confirmed later by French police, was a passenger incident: a 26-year-old man suffering what was described as an acute psychotic episode attempted to force his way into the cockpit, and was restrained by crew and fellow passengers. Here is a careful account of what is known about the incident.
BLUF: On 22 August 2025, easyJet flight U24429 (Lyon–Porto, Airbus A320 registered OE-IJL) declared an emergency after take-off and returned to Lyon, landing safely 45 minutes later. French police said a 26-year-old Portuguese passenger in an acute psychotic state tried to enter the cockpit; he was restrained on board, removed by police on landing, and the flight later continued to Porto. No injuries to other passengers or crew were reported.
At a Glance
- Flight: easyJet U24429 (also listed as EJU4429), Lyon Saint-Exupéry (LYS) to Porto (OPO).
- Date: 22 August 2025.
- Aircraft: Airbus A320, registration OE-IJL.
- Departure: 18:34 CEST from runway 35L, about one hour behind schedule.
- Emergency: Squawk 7700 declared at 20,000 feet; the climb was stopped and the aircraft turned back.
- Landing: 19:19 CEST on runway 35R at Lyon, met by emergency crews and police — about 45 minutes after take-off.
- Cause: A passenger incident — a 26-year-old man attempted to force entry to the cockpit.
- Outcome: The passenger was removed by police; the flight subsequently continued to Porto.
The Flight and the Emergency Declaration
Flight U24429 was a scheduled easyJet service from Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport in France to Porto in Portugal. On 22 August 2025 it departed runway 35L at 18:34 Central European Summer Time, already around an hour late. The aircraft operating the service was an Airbus A320 registered OE-IJL.
Within minutes of take-off, as the aircraft climbed through 20,000 feet, the crew declared an emergency by squawking 7700 — the transponder code recognised worldwide as a general emergency signal. Aviation tracking sites picked up the alert in real time, and observers watched the flight level off, turn around and head back toward Lyon rather than continuing toward Portugal.
The A320 landed on runway 35R at approximately 19:19, just 45 minutes after it had taken off, where it was met by emergency crews on standby and parked on a remote stand. The speed of the return — less than an hour from departure to landing — reflected standard procedure for an emergency of this kind: get the aircraft on the ground at the nearest suitable airport as quickly as safety allows.
What Caused the easyJet U24429 Emergency
Initial reports described only a “passenger incident”, with the airline declining to give details. French police later confirmed what had happened in the cabin: a 26-year-old Portuguese national had attempted to force his way into the cockpit shortly after take-off. Passengers and crew members intervened and restrained him until the aircraft landed.
Medical examinations conducted afterwards found that the man was suffering from airsickness combined with an acute psychotic disorder that had left him in a state of delirium, according to reporting of the police findings. He was taken into custody by police on arrival and hospitalised.
easyJet’s statement was brief: “Flight EJU4429 from Lyon to Porto returned back to Lyon shortly after take-off due to the behaviour of a passenger onboard. The flight was met by police on arrival and once the passenger was removed by police, the flight continued onto Porto.” No injuries to other passengers or crew were reported in the coverage of the incident.
What Squawk 7700 Means
The detail that made this incident visible to the public within minutes was the squawk 7700 call. Aircraft transponders broadcast a four-digit code that air traffic control uses to identify them; most of the time the code is an ordinary assigned number. Certain codes, however, have fixed international meanings: 7500 indicates unlawful interference, 7600 indicates radio failure, and 7700 indicates a general emergency.
Declaring 7700 does not by itself say what the emergency is — it tells controllers and nearby aircraft that the flight needs priority handling. Flight-tracking websites and aviation news outlets monitor these codes continuously, which is why incidents like U24429 appear on trackers almost as they happen. In this case the code reflected a security-related emergency in the cabin rather than a technical problem with the aircraft.
People Also Ask
What happened on easyJet flight U24429?
On 22 August 2025, easyJet flight U24429 from Lyon to Porto declared an emergency shortly after take-off and returned to Lyon, landing safely 45 minutes after departure. French police confirmed the cause was a passenger incident: a 26-year-old man in an acute psychotic state attempted to force his way into the cockpit and was restrained by crew and passengers before being removed by police.
When did the easyJet U24429 emergency happen?
The incident took place on the evening of Friday, 22 August 2025. The Airbus A320 departed Lyon at 18:34 CEST, declared the emergency at 20,000 feet during the climb, and landed back at Lyon at approximately 19:19 CEST.
Was anyone hurt in the U24429 incident?
No injuries to other passengers or crew were reported in coverage of the incident. The passenger at the centre of the disturbance was taken into custody by French police on landing and subsequently hospitalised after medical examinations identified airsickness combined with an acute psychotic disorder.
What does squawk 7700 mean?
Squawk 7700 is the international transponder code for a general emergency. When a crew sets it, air traffic control and nearby aircraft know the flight needs priority handling, though the code itself does not specify the nature of the emergency — it can indicate anything from a technical fault to a medical or security incident in the cabin.
