An easyJet flight from Heraklion, Crete, was due to arrive at Manchester Airport this afternoon but alarmed passengers ended up in Paris due to an emergency ‘technical issue’
Passengers on a flight bound for Manchester were left fearing they ‘weren’t going to land’ after an unexpected diversion to Paris due to a ‘technical issue’.
The easyJet service from Heraklion in Crete was scheduled to touch down at Manchester Airport this afternoon (August 6), but instead found itself in the French capital. This followed the flight crew issuing a ‘Squawk 7700’ alert, signalling an onboard emergency. While the airline cited a ‘technical issue’, passengers reported being informed of a problem with the ‘hydraulics’.
Debbie Manley, a passenger on the delayed flight returning from the Greek island, said that there were concerns about landing after hearing some ‘weird noises’ on the aircraft prior to take-off. It comes after police shame British drugs mules by making them pose for photos with suitcases.
She said: “We’re on the flight, everything was going normally. But there were some weird noises before we took off,” reports the Manchester Evening News. It comes after a ‘traumatised’ family were stranded at Palma Airport after being told they can’t board a Jet2 flight.
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“People were talking about these weird noises and we were delayed taking off. Then they announced we were being diverted. They said it was nothing to worry about, it’s just hydraulics. It’s just a routine check.”
Other passengers on the flight reported seeing at least six fire engines on the runway when the plane landed in Paris. Debbie, a Manchester resident, added that police officers boarded the plane after passengers disembarked from the aircraft.
She revealed: “We were on the runway for an hour, then we were waiting for the buses. There were still people pointing at the plane and lots of flashing lights. After we got off, it looked like there were three French policemen on the plane.”
In a recent update on the easyJet website, the airline confirmed that the ‘technical issue’ with the plane could not be resolved by engineers. The airline is now dispatching a new plane from London Luton Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle to transport passengers back to Manchester.
A spokesperson for easyJet stated: “Flight EZY2058 from Heraklion to Manchester has diverted to Paris Charles de Gaulle due to a technical issue. We are arranging for a replacement aircraft to continue the flight to Manchester as soon as possible this evening and providing customers with refreshments in the terminal.
“We would like to thank customers for their patience and apologise for any inconvenience caused by the delay to their journey. The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is our highest priority and the airline operates its aircraft in strict compliance with manufacturer guidelines.”