easyJet plane took off from wrong part of Luton runway
An easyJet flight took off from the wrong part of the runway at Luton Airport, according to a report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).
The branch found the plane had used a shorter intersection as it made its way to Malaga on June 13 2025.
At the time, there were 180 passengers and six crew members onboard.
A spokesperson for easyJet confirmed the airline assisted the AAIB with its investigation.
They said: “We will always take action to ensure we maintain the highest standards of safety. easyJet’s pilots are trained to the highest industry standards and the safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority.”
The aircraft was 65ft above the ground when it cleared the runway, with the mistake only being noticed hours later by a flight monitoring system when the plane had already flown back to Luton.
The report stated: “...the co-pilot initially planned to take off from Intersection Alpha on Runway 251... However, he noted that they did not have the takeoff performance, given the aircraft’s weight and the environmental conditions at the time.”
Despite this, the plane took off from the shorter intersection.
Investigators said: “While there were a few opportunities to trap this error, they were missed, probably by a combination of the crews’ habitual behaviour and confirmation bias.”
The report also found there were no “no external distractions that may have led to the crew rushing or forgetting their requirement” to leave from the full-length of the runway.