Alicante, Spain, October 26 – On Saturday, October 24, 2026, Ryanair Flight RYR2955 from Dublin to Bristol diverted to Spain due to severe weather. The Boeing 737-800 registered 9H-QDK departed Dublin Airport just after 10:00 PM. After reaching 27,000 feet and starting its descent, the crew aborted before 20,000 feet due to dangerous wind gusts and hostile conditions at Bristol Airport.
The aircraft climbed and headed south during an unusual holding pattern over the UK as options were reviewed. Following a U-turn, persistent severe weather at regional airports led to the choice of Alicante-Elche Airport. It landed safely on Runway 10 at 2:15 AM, nearly three hours after departure for a flight normally under one hour covering nearly 1,000 miles.
This rare diversion was related to the plane’s earlier operations. The same aircraft flew FR2954 from Alicante to Newquay, leaving almost an hour late at 6:25 PM CEST. Gusts exceeding 40 knots prevented the Cornwall landing, so it circled at 25,000 feet, then diverted to Dublin.
Out of position in Ireland, Ryanair tried returning UK nationals to Bristol. When the storm made that unviable, routing back to Alicante was the practical solution for a safe landing and aircraft recovery for the next day’s schedule amid weather challenges.