Passenger Jets Do 360s Mid-Flight, Intentionally

An easyJet flight turned around midair while flying from Iceland to the UK on Monday—though this detour left passengers pleased. There was no incident on board. Rather, the pilot decided to give passengers the best possible view of the northern lights, which were putting on a show over the North Sea, just off the Faroe Islands, per Sky News. "Big thanks to the easyJet pilot of EZY1806 from Reykjavik to Manchester who did a 360 fly by mid-flight to make sure all passengers could see the incredible Northern Lights," one passenger tweeted, sharing photos of the display with a plane's wing in the frame. Others highlighted the flight path, with the looping maneuver clearly visible.

An easyJet spokesperson said the company was "pleased" with the "controlled maneuver," which allowed passengers to "witness an amazing display from the air of one of nature's greatest sights." But the pilot wasn't alone. A day earlier, easyJet flight EZY35BM from Reykjavik to Edinburgh made "an unscheduled 360" for a full view of the northern lights, as another passenger tweeted. So, too, did Finnair flight FIN488 from Kuusamo to Helsinki, per YLE News. Many areas have witnessed impressive light shows as a result of strong geomagnetic storms following solar ejections on Friday and Saturday, per Newsweek. Moderate geomagnetic storms are expected to continue into Tuesday. (More northern lights stories.)