Sir Elton John performed at Madison Square Garden in New York a few hours after his plane was forced to make an emergency landing while attempting to leave the UK. AP
Sir Elton John performed at Madison Square Garden in New York a few hours after his plane was forced to make an emergency landing while attempting to leave the UK. AP
Sir Elton John performed at Madison Square Garden in New York a few hours after his plane was forced to make an emergency landing while attempting to leave the UK. AP
Sir Elton John performed at Madison Square Garden in New York a few hours after his plane was forced to make an emergency landing while attempting to leave the UK. AP

Elton John performs in New York after reported emergency landing amid UK's Storm Franklin


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Firefighters from several stations around Rushmoor in Hampshire county in England rushed to Farnborough Airport on Monday after Elton John's private jet reportedly suffered a hydraulic failure and was attempting to make an emergency landing amid Storm Franklin.

Yet a day later the six-time Grammy Award-winner could be seen performing live at Madison Square Garden in New York City, as part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road world tour, which is meant to be the final tour of his career. It began in Pennsylvania in 2018, but has been beset by delays, including postponements owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

John was leaving the UK for the US when the incident occurred at an altitude of 10,000 feet, The Sun reports. According to the newspaper, the ordeal began shortly after John's £66 million ($90m) jet left the airport at 10.20am. About an hour into the trip, the aircraft suffered hydraulic failure and the pilot had to make a U-turn while approaching the coast of southern Ireland.

The pilot headed back to Farnborough and radioed air traffic control to declare an emergency landing. Ambulance crews and police were alerted at 11.19am, as firefighters raced to the scene and the runway was cleared.

But as Storm Franklin's fierce winds continued to batter parts of the UK, the pilot soon struggled to land the twin-jet Bombardier Global Express.

A Bombardier Global Express RS plane at the Middle East Business Aviation event in Dubai. Elton John was on a similar plane when his on-air ordeal began shortly after leaving Farnborough in the UK. Jeff Topping / The National
A Bombardier Global Express RS plane at the Middle East Business Aviation event in Dubai. Elton John was on a similar plane when his on-air ordeal began shortly after leaving Farnborough in the UK. Jeff Topping / The National

On Monday, Rushmoor Fire Station tweeted images of firefighter trucks as they headed to the airport.

"Multiple resources from Rushmoor and surrounding stations sent to Farnborough airfield earlier for a plane suffering hydraulic troubles. The plane ended up landing safely and all fire appliances, police and ambulance crews were stood down," it posted.

UK flights disrupted amid Storm Franklin

Millions of travellers across the UK have faced disruption to their plans after Storm Franklin hit the country. Flights have been cancelled and delayed and one train operator has issued a “do not travel” warning over the risk of flooding to tracks, while hundreds of homes have been evacuated.

The Met Office issued an amber warning for winds, which could cause a “risk to life”, in Northern Ireland until 7am on Monday, while a milder yellow wind warning covers England, Wales and south-western Scotland from noon until 1pm.

Following the on-air drama, John tweeted: "Hello New York! See you @TheGarden tonight."

On January 19, the tour's rescheduled North American leg finally began in New Orleans, Louisiana, after a two-year delay. But John was again forced to postpone two concerts in Dallas, Texas after he contracted Covid-19 on January 22.

John had also previously said he was postponing European dates on his world tour until 2023 so that he can have an operation on an injured hip. The US tour is scheduled to make stops in Houston, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, New York and Miami.

On Tuesday night, John made it to the Madison Square Garden and performed for thousands of fans. He is set to play the famed venue again on Wednesday.

Scroll through the photo gallery below to see Elton John's style evolution over the years:

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Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650

Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder

Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm

Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km

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Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

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Dir: Taika Waititi

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson

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Range: Up to 610km

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Available: Now

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Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

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SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.

A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors. 

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont

Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950

Engine 3.6-litre V6

Gearbox Eight-speed automatic

Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm

Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km

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Updated: February 23, 2022, 6:31 AM`