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Belfast City Airport shut after emergency during landing | Belfast City Airport shut after emergency during landing |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Emergency services attended the Aer Lingus plane at Belfast City Airport | |
All flights in and out of Belfast City Airport have been cancelled on Sunday evening after an Aer Lingus plane suffered an emergency incident while landing during strong winds. | All flights in and out of Belfast City Airport have been cancelled on Sunday evening after an Aer Lingus plane suffered an emergency incident while landing during strong winds. |
The plane had flown from Edinburgh to Belfast at about 16:00 GMT with four crew members but no passengers on board. | The plane had flown from Edinburgh to Belfast at about 16:00 GMT with four crew members but no passengers on board. |
It appears the plane's nose wheel collapsed during landing, with pictures showing its nose resting on the runway tarmac. It is understood no-one was seriously hurt. | It appears the plane's nose wheel collapsed during landing, with pictures showing its nose resting on the runway tarmac. It is understood no-one was seriously hurt. |
The airport's runway has been shut and is not expected to reopen until Monday. | The airport's runway has been shut and is not expected to reopen until Monday. |
The emergency incident happened to what was described as a "positioning flight" which was operated by Emerald Airlines on behalf of Aer Lingus. | |
Emerald Airlines said the aircraft "experienced a hard landing upon arriving into Belfast City Airport due to adverse weather conditions". | |
The police, fire service and ambulance crews were immediately deployed to the airport. | The police, fire service and ambulance crews were immediately deployed to the airport. |
Four fire appliances and a number of specialist crew members were deployed to the runway | |
Fire Service Area Commander David Doherty said firefighters responded at 16:15 GMT after the airport "declared a full emergency". | Fire Service Area Commander David Doherty said firefighters responded at 16:15 GMT after the airport "declared a full emergency". |
They sent several units as part of their expected response to an airport emergency, but he said firefighters did not have to take any immediate action. | They sent several units as part of their expected response to an airport emergency, but he said firefighters did not have to take any immediate action. |
Their resources were quickly redeployed but some crews remained at the scene as a precaution, Mr Doherty added. | |
Air accident inspectors deployed | |
Belfast City Airport told passengers not to travel to the airport on Sunday evening due to the runway closure. | |
Instead it advised them to "contact their airline". | |
The live flight information section of its website is showing that several planes due to arrive on Sunday evening have been cancelled. | |
Two flights - from London City and Leeds Bradford - due to land at the airport on Sunday afternoon were diverted to Belfast International Airport. | |
A further five flights were diverted from Dublin Airport. | |
The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) is also assisting Belfast City Airport with the process of moving the damaged plane, according to the DAA's Media Relations Manager Graeme McQueen. | |
He told BBC News NI that "members of Dublin Airport's airfield operations team are currently travelling to Belfast with aircraft recovery equipment". | |
"We are happy to help our neighbouring airport," he added. | |
The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) confirmed that it has been notified of the emergency incident in Belfast. | |
Its spokesperson said: "An investigation has been launched and a team of inspectors is being deployed to the site." |