2 Boeing 747s Make Rare Manchester Cameo As Lufthansa Rescues 371 Diverted Passengers

Credit: Ross Howey Photo | Shutterstock Published Sep 28, 2026, 2:42 AM EDT Luke Diaz is a freelance military writer with experience with active duty experience in the US Navy as well as defense and industrial engineering. He is a former Naval Flight Officer who performed tactical air control on the carrier-based E-2 Hawkeye. Sign in to your Simple Flying account Manchester Airport (MAN) in the United Kingdom saw an unusual sight on Sunday when two Boeing 747 jumbo jets were parked alongside each other on the ramp. The rare duo was the result of a midair emergency on Lufthansa flight LH470, which was forced to divert on its way to Toronto, Canada. The first 747-400 touched down on Saturday with 371 passengers who had departed Frankfurt International (FRA). The next day, another 747-400 was dispatched as a replacement to pick up the stranded passengers. Manchester has not seen regular passenger 747 flights since 2020, when Virgin Atlantic retired its fleet, so the sight of two superjumbos at once would have been a massive surprise. Unscheduled Superjumbo Arrival In Manchester Credit: Lufthansa According to the Aviation Herald, flight LH470 — operated by 25-year-old airframe D-ABVY — was cruising at 33,000 feet about 180 nautical miles (333 km) north of Manchester when one passenger reported the smell of burning in the cabin. That was followed by another who claimed to have seen smoke. As a result, the pilots declared an emergency, squawking 7700, and diverted in short order. Another customer reported seeing the lavatory lights flicker, while at least one in-flight entertainment system reportedly lost power. No details have yet been disclosed on what may have caused the smoke and fumes. Such emergencies remain among the most dangerous in aviation, as worst-case scenarios can spiral out of control in minutes. Keeping Safety Of Flight A Top Priority Credit: Flightradar24 Lufthansa subsequently sent another 747-400 to Manchester to operate the delayed flight to Toronto, carrying the stranded passengers onward to Canada. The risk of fire is considered among the most grave dangers to any plane in the sky. Any suspected issue that could compromise the aircraft's safety is reason enough to avoid sending it across the Atlantic, where diversion airports are limited. Flight tracking data shows that tail number D-ABVY remains on the ground in the UK, while D-ABVW successfully completed the trip to Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ). Simple Flying reached out to Lufthansa for further information on this incident, but a representative could not be reached before publication. Sending a second 747 to Manchester represented an additional operational cost for Lufthansa. However, the benefit far outweighs the risk in the case of a situation like LH 470 on Saturday. The incident exemplifies the extended service that these legacy jet liners have been pressed into as the airline continues to await the delivery of its first 777X, which will succeed them. Lufthansa's Delayed Widebody Fleet Upgrade Credit: Boeing Lufthansa operates 26 Boeing 747s, comprising eight 747-400s and 18 747-8s. The oldest 747-400 models average over 25 years old, and the 18 newer 747-8 double-deckers are nearing a decade in service as well. Lufthansa has locked in an accelerated retirement schedule to completely phase out the final 747-400s by 2027–2028. Until the 777X or more A350s arrive, they have no choice but to keep patching them up to avoid capacity shortfalls. Lufthansa has already had to reconsider its fleet strategy in response to delays with its next-generation aircraft, particularly its Airbus A380 fleet. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lufthansa fully deactivated and parked its entire fleet of 14 A380s. When global travel demand exploded back to record highs, Lufthansa found itself completely short on high-capacity long-haul seats because the 777X wasn't there. On May 7, 2026, the first production 777-9 built specifically for Lufthansa successfully completed its inaugural flight from Boeing's facility at Paine Field. Lufthansa is officially expected to take delivery of its very first Boeing 777X in the first quarter of 2027. Still, the airline has maintained a contingency plan to put the legacy jumbo on standby if the decade-delayed program slips once again.