An Aer Lingus flight was involved in an incident as it landed at Belfast City Airport this afternoon, with the runway now closed and passengers urged to check with their airline
Emergency services have dashed to a major airport after an aircraft was forced into a “hard landing” due to issues with its landing gear. While attempting to land at Belfast City Airport tonight (December 22), an Aer Lingus regional flight operated by Emerald Airlines encountered problems due to the strong winds currently battering the UK.
On Saturday, a yellow weather warning was issued which is expected to last until later tonight. Consequently, gusts of up to 82mph have struck and people travelling home for Christmas have been impacted.
Images from the scene depict fire crews on the runway assisting with the incident. It’s thought the flight was arriving from Edinburgh when the nose gear collapsed, causing concern for the four crew members onboard.
Reports suggest the plane was battling winds of around 50mph in the country when it attempted to land. A spokesperson for the airport stated: “At around 4pm today, Sunday 22 December, an Aer Lingus regional flight, operated by Emerald Airlines, had an incident on landing at Belfast City Airport. All flights to and from the airport have now been cancelled for the rest of the night.”
“This was a positioning fight with no passengers but four crew members onboard. 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.”, reports the Mirror.
A representative from Belfast International Airport, which has been accommodating some diverted flights due to the incident at Belfast City Airport, stated: “Following the incident at Belfast City Airport this afternoon we have taken four diverted flights. As we already had 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, however we will continue to support where possible.”
He added that the airport’s website would provide the most current information on arrivals and departures, and any queries should be directed to the airlines. He also requested passengers’ patience as their ground teams work to assist these additional flights as swiftly as possible.
Emerald Airlines issued a statement to BelfastLive, explaining: “An Emerald Airlines positioning flight, EA701P, with no passengers on board, flying from Edinburgh to Belfast City Airport, December 22 2024, experienced a hard landing upon arriving into Belfast City Airport due to adverse weather conditions.”
The severe weather continues to wreak havoc across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, affecting ferries, flights and roads. In Portugal, hundreds of people were left stranded after EasyJet flights from Madeira to London were cancelled due to the strong winds, leaving them scrambling to find alternative routes home.
An NIFRS spokesperson revealed: “NIFRS attended an incident at Belfast City Airport at 16:15 on Sunday 22nd December. Four Appliances, a Specialist Rescue Team, a Command Support Unit, and 3 Officers were at scene. At 16:34 NIFRS scaled back our response. We currently have 1 appliance and 3 officer’s on scene.”
Meanwhile, member of the Legislative Assembly Peter McReynolds expressed his concerns on X: “Concerned at the news coming through about Belfast City Airport. Grateful to all involved for their swift actions in managing the situation + relieved all staff are reported safe. If you’re due to travel tonight, please check for updates before departing as delays are expected.”