A Ryanair flight declared a "mayday" — a distress signal used in aviation to indicate a life-threatening emergency — after being unable to land during a severe storm and coming dangerously close to running out of fuel, according to a report by the Air Accident Investigations Branch. The Boeing 737 flight, carrying 171 passengers and six crew members, was en route from Pisa International Airport in Italy to Prestwick Airport near Glasgow on 3 October 2025. At the time, Storm Amy, a powerful cyclone, was hitting the UK with strong winds and heavy rain, causing widespread disruption. The flight was delayed nearly one-and-a-half hours due to the weather, and wind conditions at Prestwick were particularly challenging, with surface winds of 33 mph and gusts up to 52 mph. The pilots were aware of the potential for delays and had added extra fuel, anticipating the need to use the shorter of Prestwick's two runways, which was less affected by the wind. They also considered Manchester Airport as a possible alternative due to better weather conditions. During the flight, the pilots encountered windshear — a sudden change in wind speed or direction that can destabilize an aircraft — and had to abort their first approach, holding the plane over the airport. They were told that if another approach failed, they would be directed to Manchester. During the second attempt to land, another windshear occurred, and they again had to abort. They then requested a diversion to Manchester, but the request was initially refused without explanation. After five minutes of discussion, they were granted permission to divert to Edinburgh instead. As they flew toward Edinburgh, the crew became increasingly concerned about fuel levels, but an attempted landing there also had to be abandoned. The pilot-in-command decided to divert back to Manchester, as the plane was now 700 kg below the required fuel level to land safely. A fuel predictor indicated that the plane would land with only 300 kg of fuel — far below the minimum reserve of 1,101 kg — prompting the "MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY FUEL" declaration. The aircraft eventually landed in Manchester at 7:52 pm with 363 kg of fuel remaining, after an additional 1 hour and 45 minutes in the air. Fuel levels dropped further to 240 kg after taxiing and shutting down the engines. The report noted that the crew found the situation stressful due to the low fuel and high workload, and they were focused on managing the approach and wind conditions. They had initially considered Manchester as their preferred alternate airport and may have been influenced by that choice in their decision-making. The report also highlighted a communication breakdown at Manchester Airport, which led to the initial refusal of the diversion request, despite the airport's policy of accepting such requests when capacity allows. The incident has prompted Manchester Airport to reaffirm its commitment to handling emergency diversions appropriately.