This is why a mysterious flight from Leeds Bradford Airport turned back over the Atlantic

Plane spotters tracking a Jet2 flight from Leeds Bradford were puzzled when the plane turned back just west of Ireland.

By The Newsroom

Published 14th Jan 2019, 09:45 BST

Updated 14th Jan 2019, 10:49 BST

The plane's movements over Ireland and the Atlantic appeared on tracking apps

The Boeing 757 registered to the budget airline took off on Saturday afternoon at around 3.30pm and headed west.

Jet2 boost capacity on top city break destinations from Leeds Bradford AirportAviation enthusiasts were puzzled when the flight, which had the code EXS059B appeared on tracking apps, as all of Jet2's scheduled flights from the airport are to destinations in Europe, and do not cross the Atlantic.

Jet2 announces 350 new jobs at Leeds Bradford AirportData on the apps shows that the aircraft flew above Ireland before performing a turn over the Atlantic and looping back towards Leeds.

However, Jet2 clarified the mysterious circumstances by confirming that the aircraft was on a routine maintenance flight - meaning it was travelling as a 'ghost plane' without any passengers on board.