A GetJet Airlines 
Boeing 737-800, which was operating flights on a wet lease basis on behalf of Wizz Air, tipped back on its tail after landing at an airport in Norway. The aircraft returned to Šiauliai, Lithuania, where it will undergo maintenance before being returned to service following the incident.
- Launch Customer(s)
-
Hapag-Lloyd Flug
- Length
-
129 ft 6 in (39.47 m)
- Wingspan
-
112 ft 7 in (34.32 m)
- Height
-
41 ft 3 in (12.55 m)
Another GetJet aircraft, an Airbus A321ceo, operated the return flight from Haugesund, Norway, to Gdansk, Poland. The single-aisle jet departed the former as a replacement, landing at the Polish airport around eight hours after the flight’s scheduled arrival time.
A GetJet Airlines Boeing 737 Tipped Back In Haugesund
Photo: Bargais | Shutterstock
On June 10, after the GetJet Airlines 737-800, registered as LY-UNO, completed Wizz Air flight W6 1749 from Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport (GDN) to Haugesund Karmoy Airport (HAU), the aircraft tipped backward during the unloading process.
Jan Ove Solstrand, the Operations Manager at Haugesund Airport, told Radio Haugaland, the local news outlet, that the aircraft tipped backward due to a weight imbalance, with a heavier load at the aft of the 737-800 causing the narrowbody to rest on its tail at the Norwegian airport.
According to Solstrand, the incident resulted in a dent in the aircraft’s aft section. The operator of the 737-800, Lithuania-based GetJet Airlines, ferried the single-aisle jet back to Lithuania to conduct a technical check of the fuselage. According to Flightradar24, the GetJet Airlines 737-800, which was operating the flight on behalf of Wizz Air, landed in Haugesund at 12:00 local time (UTC +2) after having departed Gdańsk at 10:23 local time (UTC +2).
Ferrying Back The GetJet 737-800 To Lithuania
Photo: Renatas Repcinskas | Shutterstock
Following the incident, GetJet Airlines opted to use an A321 to operate the return flight to the Polish airport. The aircraft, registered as LY-WSA, was ferried from Vilnius Airport (VNO) to Hagesund, according to ADS-B Exchange data, which showed that the replacement A321 departed the Lithuanian capital at approximately 18:00 local time (UTC +3), and landed at the Norwegian airport at around 18:58 on June 10.
Wizz Air flight W6 1750 to Gdańsk departed at 20:50. It landed in Poland at 22:12, some eight hours later than its scheduled landing time of 14:10. Meanwhile, the 737-800, involved in the tipping back incident, was ferried by GetJet Airlines to Šiauliai International Airport (SQQ) on flight GW802. The aircraft landed at the Lithuanian airport, which has no scheduled services, at around 20:06 on June 11.
According to ch-aviation, Wizz Air, which has been facing grounded aircraft due to the accelerated removals and inspections of Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-powered A320neo family aircraft, has only wet-leased the two GetJet Airlines aircraft.
The 737-800 involved in the incident in Norway began flying on behalf of the airline on May 27, while the A321 started operating flights with Wizz Air’s flight codes from March 30 until April 18. It subsequently did so from May 16 to May 26, and once again from June 10, when the 737-800 tipped back on its tail at Haugesund Airport.
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Maintenance Base In Šiauliai
Photo: Aviatic MRO
Šiauliai is a dual-use airport located in the north of the Baltic country, with the airport being the base of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission since Lithuania, as well as Estonia and Latvia, joined the military alliance in 2004. Following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, NATO established another Air Policing Mission at Ämari Air Base, Estonia. The airport is also home to Aviatic MRO, which operates a maintenance facility at the airport, which is run by Airhub Aviation.
The company opened its facility in August 2023, with its site saying that it provides base maintenance, including “structure and composite repairs, corrosion prevention program checks,” line maintenance, continuing airworthiness management organization (CAMO) services, and supply chain and asset management solutions. GetJet Airlines later announced that it had chosen Aviatic MRO as its maintenance partners, noting that “A-class service and reliability of our fleet is our priority.”
The carrier, which operates charter and wet lease flights on behalf of tour operators and airlines, added that the maintenance company’s hangar in Šiauliai is located just three hours away from major European hubs. “This facility will provide a comprehensive range of services, including line and base maintenance, as well as scheduled heavy maintenance checks and delivery/redelivery checks,” GetJet Airlines stated, noting that maintenance work on its aircraft would begin during the then-upcoming winter season.
UPDATE: 2025/06/12 23:19 EST BY RYTIS BERESNEVIČIUS
GetJet Airlines has provided a statement by its Chief Executive Officer, Inga Duglas:
“We [can] confirm that a Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by GetJet Airlines experienced an incident on June 10 while parked at Haugesund Airport in Norway. Passengers, crew members, or ground personnel were not injured.
The event occurred during passenger disembarkation and cargo offloading, carried out by the airport’s ground handling company. Preliminary information suggests that during these operations, a temporary imbalance in weight distribution may have caused the aircraft’s tail to lower beyond its usual position and make contact with the ground.
We are currently working with the management of the ground handling company to understand the root cause of the incident. We have requested a damage report in order to comprehensively assess the circumstances. We will provide the results of the investigation and all necessary information to the responsible aviation authorities as required by applicable rules and regulations.
Upon receiving the manufacturer’s clearance for a ferry flight (non-passenger), the aircraft was transferred to the maintenance base at Siauliai International Airport (SQQ), where it is undergoing a detailed inspection in consultation with the aircraft manufacturer to accurately assess the technical damage and carry out necessary repairs. Safety remains our absolute priority at all times. The aircraft will return to service only after all necessary repairs have been completed, and the required approvals have been obtained from the aircraft manufacturer and relevant regulatory authorities.
While the investigation is ongoing, we are unable to provide further details. Additional commentary will be made available once the report is concluded.”