Manchester Airport flights delayed ‘due to hole in the runway’

Manchester Airport flights faced widespread delays on September 19, 2026, due to a temporary closure of one of its runways for routine maintenance. According to an airport spokesperson, the runway was closed briefly to address a "minor issue," though some reports described the problem as a "hole in the runway." The disruption led to delays affecting both arriving and departing flights, with some passengers experiencing waits of over an hour. The incident occurred as one of the runways was temporarily shut down for repairs. A spokesperson confirmed the closure was necessary to carry out "routine maintenance," emphasizing that such checks are conducted regularly. However, aviation news outlet Aviation News UK reported that the closure lasted approximately two hours, during which high levels of delay were recorded. Knock-on effects continued into the evening, with flights remaining delayed even after the runway had reopened. Several flights originally bound for Manchester were rerouted. Three Manchester-bound flights from Antalya, Lisa, and Rhodes were diverted to Liverpool, while Pegasus Airlines announced that flight PC7281 from Istanbul had been redirected to Stansted Airport due to the closure. The airline assured passengers that a new flight would be scheduled to mitigate the impact of the delays. Inrix, a traffic monitoring service, reported that flights to and from Manchester Airport were delayed by an average of 50 minutes initially, later adjusting to 40 minutes. Passengers were urged to check their flight statuses before heading to the airport. The airport’s website indicated that both arrivals and departures were significantly impacted, with several outbound flights delayed by more than an hour. Earlier reports noted that the 9:55 p.m. Egyptair flight to Cairo was delayed by one hour. This incident followed a similar disruption on August 31, when a hole at the Delta Zulu crossing point caused prolonged delays. The Delta Zulu crossing point is a critical runway intersection known for previous disruptions. Passenger concerns were raised online, with one traveler questioning the diversion of flight PC7281 to Stansted. The airport continues to monitor the situation and provide updates.