Flight FR1121, operated by a Boeing 737 Max, departed Birmingham slightly ahead of schedule for its planned 2.50pm take‑off on December 28. The aircraft lifted off at 3.05pm and climbed smoothly towards its cruising altitude of 37,000 feet. Around 40 minutes into the flight, as it crossed the French coastline near Morlaix in Brittany, the cabin crew had begun service when the turbulence struck.

The sudden jolt prompted the pilots to decide to return to Birmingham. Within minutes, the jet descended to around 10,000 feet while crossing back over the English Channel — a level typically associated with pressurisation concerns, though there is no suggestion that was the cause in this case.

The aircraft landed without further incident, roughly 90 minutes after departure, and was met by emergency teams at a remote stand. Ryanair later confirmed that “a small number of passengers were provided with medical assistance” after disembarking.

To keep the schedule moving, the airline dispatched a replacement aircraft from Leeds Bradford Airport. Passengers eventually reboarded and departed Birmingham at 9.21pm, touching down at Tenerife South at 1.25am — more than six hours behind the original arrival time.

Travellers heading in the opposite direction fared better. Those returning from Tenerife to Birmingham experienced only a minor delay, with a substitute aircraft completing the journey and landing at 1.25am, around 70 minutes late.

A spokesperson for the budget airline had this to say“The aircraft landed normally before passengers disembarked and returned to the terminal, where a small number of passengers were provided with medical assistance.”: "FR1121 from Birmingham to Tenerife on 28 December returned to Birmingham airport shortly after take-off due to air turbulence."