Emirates flight from Dubai diverted due to high winds

Dubai - The flight was scheduled to land at London's Gatwick airport.

An Emirates flight from Dubai to London had to be diverted due to high winds. 
Emirates flight EK015 attempted to land at its destination -- London Gatwick Airport -- but was unable to due to inclement weather conditions. It was later diverted to Manchester Airport where it landed safely.
An Emirates spokesperson confirmed that the flight was diverted due to high winds. 
"Emirates can confirm that flight EK015 from Dubai to London Gatwick on February 8, 2019 was diverted to Manchester due to high winds. We have made alternative arrangements for affected passengers to get to their destination."
The spokesperson added that a return flight, EK016, was rescheduled to operate on Saturday. Passengers from that flight were provided with hotel accommodation.
"Passengers traveling to Dubai have been offered rebooking on alternative flights where applicable. Emirates apologises for any inconvenience. The safety of our passengers and crew is of paramount importance," the spokesperson added.
According to the Guardian, the strong winds were brought in by Storm Erik which lashed the country over the weekend. Videos on social media showed other aircraft having difficulties landing at airports around the UK. One such example was a British Airways plane which attempted to land at London Heathrow Airport against strong winds. The video captured how the pilot swiftly aborts the landing attempt and takes off again.

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