11 passengers on board a jet bound for Manchester Airport have been left injured after an incident of “freak turbulence”, it has been revealed.
Around 225 people who had previously been on a P&O Caribbean cruise over the festive season were onboard the Maleth Aero flight – which departed from Barbados – were expected to arrive in Manchester shortly before 6am on Christmas Eve (24 December).
But after an incident of turbulence described as being “unexpected” and “freak” occurred, pilots made the decision to divert the plane to Bermuda.
The turbulence was said to have happened about two hours after the plane departed, a P&O spokesperson has confirmed, and a total of 11 passengers received treatment for minor injuries after the plane landed, BBC News reports.
The 13 crew members on board the flight were confirmed to have been unharmed following the incident.
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A Maleth Aero passenger charter plane / Credit: Maleth Aero
The Airbus A300-200 charter airline had been due to return its several hundred passengers home just in time for Christmas Day, but instead, they had to spend Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the majority of Boxing Day in Bermuda before eventually boarding a plane to Manchester Airport late yesterday afternoon.
A P&O spokesperson explained that passengers were accommodated in hotels in Bermuda over the festive period due to “airport operating times” and a lack of flight availabilities.
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“Following freak unexpected turbulence, a flight from Barbados to Manchester was diverted to Bermuda on Sunday morning,” the P&O spokesperson confirmed in a statement.
“We are very sorry for this disruption to the journey following their holiday and we worked round the clock with the airline and hotels to take care of the guests, and to ensure they get home as soon as possible.”
Featured Image – Maleth Aero
News
Police appeal after Bolton woman, 24, dies in collision following suspected ‘medical episode’
Emily Sergeant
An appeal for information and witnesses has been issued following a fatal collision in Bolton earlier this week.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that at around 7pm on Tuesday (16 September), a car was travelling eastbound along Chorley Old Road, near to the Horwich area of Bolton, when it is believed to have lost control and collided with a wall.
Sadly, the driver of the car – a woman aged 24 – died at the scene, and it is believed she may have had a suspected ‘medical episode’.
No other vehicles were involved in the shocking incident.
#APPEAL | Officers are appealing for information following a fatal traffic collision in Bolton yesterday evening (16 September 2025).
The road was closed for large part of Tuesday evening, close to the junctions with Old Kiln Lane and Walker Fold Road – with at least six police cars reported to be in attendance at one point, as well as several paramedics and even an air ambulance.
Police are still investigating the full circumstances of the collision, and are now asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident to get in touch.
This also includes anyone with dashcam, CCTV, or doorbell footage which capturing the collision.
Can you help? Anyone with information is asked to contact police via 101, or on the Live Chat at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 2921 of 16/09/25.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – Google Maps
News
Manchester United announce record revenue despite on-pitch struggles
Danny Jones
Manchester United have declared a record revenue figure for the full 2025 fiscal term, even with their poor performances on the pitch over the past 12 months.
They may still be a continually struggling Premier League side who seem to be in a perpetual state of transition, but they remain nothing short of a global giant in terms of sporting brands.
Yes, despite Man United recording two of the worst finishes in domestic history in the previous two campaigns and head coach Ruben Amorim having already overseen the worst start to a top-flight season in the modern era following the defeat on derby day, the football club has reached a monetary milestone.
According to their official reports for the fourth and final quarter of the financial year, they brought in a record-breaking £666.5 million throughout 2024/25 – but, as always, it’s more complicated than that.
"There are some tough decisions to be made"
BREAKING: Manchester United have announced record revenues for 2024/25 of £666.5m – but the club still made an overall loss of £33m 🚨 pic.twitter.com/jlQS7SMjJ8
Released on Wednesday, 17 September, Manchester United PLC confirmed that they had managed to record the biggest revenue figures on several fronts despite crashing out of the Europa League, finishing 15th in the table overall and failing to secure a place in any European competition this season.
The first half of Amorim‘s tenure at Old Trafford saw the club’s worst competitive placing since 1973/74, a.k.a. the last time the Red Devils were relegated from the first division.
Nevertheless, a fresh shirt sponsorship agreement with Snapdragon, new brand partnerships with the likes of Coca-Cola, an extension of their contract with travel experience company, SportsBreaks, and numerous other deals saw United achieve a record commercial revenue of £333.3m.
Elsewhere, match revenue was also up and reached new heights, tallying approximately £160.3m in the 12 months leading up to 30 June 2025 – the most they have ever registered when it comes to ticket sales, concessions, and other transactions in and around game days.
Although this number is a reduction of more than 70.8% what they lost last year (£113.2m), there is still plenty of concern among supporters over how money is still not only being spent but moved around.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS board did pay sizeable chunks of MUFC’s debt, which has piled up at an alarming rate in the two decades since the Glazer takeover, but there has still been plenty of borrowing.
In addition to a number of shorter-term loans, there has also been an increased level of amortisation and significant transfer spending this summer, despite being admittedly cash-strapped.
As well as actually having less money to play with over the past 12 months, they are also set to receive less in TV rights and broadcasting revenues this season due to not making it into any European competition, hence why they went on a post-season Asian tour to try and make up for funds lost.
It’s estimated that the business earned a further £8 million from these games, but it’s also worth noting that significant sums have been spent not only on new signings but also on severance fees and redundancy packages, so it’s hard to assess how much this extra injection helped with the fine margins.
While it's good to see that we're paying down our long-term debts, I'm a bit worried about how the club have maybe over-leveraged short-term borrowings. Debt restructure needed imo. pic.twitter.com/LQuUdbzK1h
Divisive CEO and former City Football Group exec, Omar Berrada, wrote in the comments section of the full findings and financial report: “As we settle into the 2025/26 season, we are working hard to improve the club in all areas.
“On the field, we are pleased with the additions we have made to our men’s and women’s first team squads over the summer, as we build for the long term. Off the field, we are emerging from a period of structural and leadership change with a refreshed, streamlined organisation equipped to deliver on our sporting and commercial objectives.”
He adds: “We are also investing [in upgrading] our infrastructure, including completion of the £50m redevelopment of our men’s first team building at Carrington, on time and on budget, following prior investment in our women’s team facilities, to create a world-class environment for our players and staff.
“Meanwhile, planning continues to meet our ambition of developing a new stadium at Old Trafford as part of a transformational regeneration of the surrounding community.
Total Manchester United revenue may be up but they’re about to shell out seismic outlay for their new stadium costs.
Berrada signs off by insistig that for the club to have “generated record revenues during such a challenging year for the club demonstrates the resilience which is a hallmark of Manchester United.
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“Our commercial business remains strong as we continue to deliver appealing products and experiences for our fans, and best-in-class value to our partners.”
“As we start to feel the benefits of our cost reduction programme, there is significant potential for improved financial performance, which will, in turn, support our overriding priority: success on the pitch.”
What do you make of Manchester United’s 2024/25 annual report and how it fits into the wider picture/struggles elsewhere around the club?
Emily Sergeant -
27th December 2023 
