Easyjet plane makes emergency landing at Belfast after 'technical fault'

An Easyjet plane from Manchester was forced to make an emergency landing at Belfast International Airport on Monday following a technical fault.

The plane was met by emergency services, and was towed to a stand for a full inspection.

Passengers were all able to disembark normally, and nobody was injured. The plane is now back in service.

An Easyjet spokesman told UTV News: "Easyjet can confirm that flight EZY137 from Manchester Airport landed safely and routinely at Belfast International Airport on 2 June.

"The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew is always easyJet's number one priority."

But, while nobody was hurt, some passengers said it was a very unsettling experience, with many people starting to cry.

One passenger, Kate Johnson, said it was "like something out of a movie". She said the captain called for one of the crew members to go to the cockpit, adding: "It became very obvious there was a problem. At first we weren't being told too much and then we were asking whether we'd be landing on water or make it to the runway, the runway at that point was about 20 minutes away.

"The staff came down and said to everybody, explained how to do the brace position, to take our shoes off, and they explained to the people at the emergency doors what they had to do, so it was all quite real.

"People started to cry, including myself. There [were] lots of children on the plane as well who were getting a bit upset."

But, she said, crew members were "great" throughout the incident.

Back in August 2013, another incident at Belfast airport was described as "like something out of a movie".

A 20-year-old holidaymaker was arrested at the airport after causing a "violent disturbance" on a Thomas Cook flight from Turkey.

The man had to be restrained by fellow passengers after he started "lashing out" about 45 minutes into the flight.

One passenger, Ivan Moore, was on the flight and helped to restrain the man. He told the BBC: "It was like something out of a movie. I just didn't expect it to happen in real life.

"The air hostesses asked him to sit down but he was shouting and lashing out. When he refused to behave, myself and another passenger intervened."

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