Monday, December 23, 2024

Belfast City Airport closed after landing incident

Must read

Belfast City Airport has been closed after an Aer Lingus plane experienced an emergency incident while landing during strong winds.

The runway will remain closed until tomorrow.

There were four crew members but no passengers onboard the plane which arrived from Edinburgh shortly after 4pm.

The plane’s landing gear is believed to have collapsed.

Pictures posted on social media appear to show the aircraft with a collapsed nose wheel sitting on the runway with fire engines nearby.

No one on board is believed to have been seriously hurt.

It was a “positioning flight” operated by Emerald Airlines on behalf of Aer Lingus, moving the plane to Belfast for use in passenger flights in the days ahead.

In a statement Emerald Airlines said it “experienced a hard landing upon arriving into Belfast City Airport due to adverse weather conditions”.

Emergency services were on scene following the hard landing (Photo: Ethan Mcmillan)

Two flights, from London City and Leeds Bradford, due to land at the airport this evening were diverted to Belfast International Airport.

A spokesperson for Belfast City Airport said: “The airport’s emergency procedures were enacted.

“The runway is currently closed and will be for the rest of the day. Passengers are asked to contact their airline.”

A spokesperson from Belfast International Airport said it has taken four diverted flights but will struggle to take more.

“As we have a heavier schedule than usual we are now, with these additional flights, close to capacity so we are limited in how many more redirected flights we can take this evening but we will continue to support where possible,” they said.

“Given the circumstances, our teams on the ground are working to help these additional flights as quickly as possible,”

“We would ask for passengers patience as we support each additional flight.”

Customers were advised to contact their airline with queries and to check the airport’s website for the most up to date information.

Latest article