London–San Francisco United Airlines flight diverted to Edinburgh after pilots declared a mid-air emergency prompted by a burning smell onboard.
United Airlines flight bound for the United States made an unscheduled landing in Scotland after the crew declared a mid-air emergency and diverted the aircraft to Edinburgh, prompting a response from emergency services before the situation was later stood down.
Boeing aircraft departed London at 2:05 p.m. local time and was scheduled to fly across the North Atlantic to San Francisco. But roughly two hours into the journey, pilots issued a “7700 squawk,” the international transponder code used to signal a general in-flight emergency. The flight then veered north, abandoning its planned oceanic crossing and heading toward Edinburgh Airport.
The aircraft landed safely in the Scottish capital at approximately 4:40 p.m., according to flight-tracking service FlightRadar24. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed it was dispatched at 4:11 p.m. following the emergency declaration, though crews were stood down upon arrival after the aircraft had already landed without incident.
United Airlines later said the diversion was prompted by a “burning smell” detected onboard. The airline reported that no injuries were sustained and that the crew opted to divert out of an abundance of caution. “We provided customers with hotel accommodations and rebooked them on other flights to their destinations,” the company said in a statement. The flight had 162 passengers onboard.
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Edinburgh Airport did not report operational disruptions, though unconfirmed accounts suggested that emergency vehicles met the aircraft on the tarmac as a precaution, a standard procedure during air incidents involving smoke or unusual odors.
Global aviation regulators classify burning smells or suspected smoke events as potential fire risks, prompting immediate investigation and, in many cases, mandatory diversion. While most turn out to be non-critical, airlines follow strict safety protocols to prevent the possibility of electrical faults or equipment overheating.
The diverted flight was originally expected to land in San Francisco at 5 p.m. United Airlines said passengers were rebooked on later services to the United States after being accommodated overnight in Edinburgh.
Neither United Airlines nor local emergency officials have released further details about the source of the smell. The airline said inspections of the aircraft were underway to determine the cause before it is cleared to return to service.
The incident comes amid a year of heightened scrutiny across the aviation sector, with global carriers facing increased attention to mechanical reliability, onboard safety reporting, and emergency-response procedures.
