Passenger plane ends up on grass verge at Birmingham Airport

A passenger plane went off the runway and ended up on the grass verge after landing at Birmingham Airport on Sunday.

The Airbus A320, carrying 98 people, "manoeuvred" off the tarmac while it was taxing to the terminal after touching down at about 2pm on Sunday, according to airport officials.

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All the passengers were taken off the plane safely once it had come to rest and there no reports of any injuries, according to a spokesman for the airport in Bickenhill, Solihull.

The plane, operated by Small Planet Airlines, had arrived from Paderborn in Germany.

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The stricken airliner was eventually towed out of the heavily rutted grass at about 4pm, and back onto the taxiway.

In a statement, the airport said: "Birmingham Airport can confirm that an A320 aircraft belonging to charter company, Small Planet, has manoeuvred off the taxiway into grass after landing from Paderborn at 1320 today.

"Passengers have safely disembarked and have been bussed to the terminal. There are no reports of injuries."

The airport's fire engines and emergency teams were on the scene throughout the drama, however Birmingham's single runway was fully operational.

A spokesman for the carrier Small Planet, said: "On February 21, Small Planet Airlines flight S5-3260 from Paderborn in Germany ran off the taxiway after landing at Birmingham airport and stopped on the grass.

"All 98 passengers safely disembarked the aircraft and there were no injuries."