FLIGHT ALERT
Mid-air drama as easyJet plane ‘with hundreds of holidaymakers on board’ forced to turn back to Gatwick Airport
The plane was originally heading to Tenerife
AN easyJet flight which was bound for Tenerife has been forced to turn back to Gatwick after a reported hydraulic failure in mid-air.
EasyJet flight U28033, which had up to 244 passengers on board, hailed the 7700 emergency code as it was flying over France this morning.
3
3
The Airbus A321neo reportedly had a hydraulic failure at around 8.40am, according to Flight Emergency.
It was put into a holding pattern at 6,000ft in order to burn its fuel before landing - which can sometimes be needed to lose weight or because of maintenance issues.
Brian Marcel, 78, who was heading on a three-day golfing holiday to Tenerife, told his plans were ruined when the plane turned around.
The pensioner from London said: "I was only going for three days. There's one day down the drain."
Brian added that there was "no panic" on board when the jet made the u-turn and nobody said the word "emergency".
He continued: "We were one and a half hours into the flight when they told us that they had lost a hydraulic system.
"I was concerned if the flaps would work because they're a hydraulic system, but they were fine."
Brian and the rest of 244 passengers have been offered an alternative flight to Tenerife, taking off at 1.30pm local time.
Most read in The Sun
Another traveller Annie Passingham, 32, told DailyMail that the landing was "a bit wobbly" but went well in the end.
She added that the police "let everyone leave one row at a time" when they were eventually permitted to disembark.
Glasgow EasyJet passengers chant 'cheerio' as rowdy couple hauled off plane by cops after sparking chaos on flight
A spokeswoman for Gatwick Airport said: “The aircraft has landed safely and no operational impact at the airport.”
Flight radar shows U28033 turning around over France and heading back to the UK this morning.
A spokesperson for easyJet said: "We can confirm that the captain of flight EZY8033 from London Gatwick to Tenerife took the decision to return to Gatwick as a precaution, due to a technical issue.
"The Captain performed a routine landing in accordance with standard operating procedures and passengers have disembarked normally.
“We are arranging for an alternative aircraft to operate the flight to Tenerife and would like to thank customers for their patience and apologise for any inconvenience caused as a result of the delay.
"The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is our highest priority and easyJet operates its aircraft in strict compliance with manufacturer guidelines.”
In May this year, a "drunk" Brit was arrested after brawling onboard his flight to Alicante and trying to open the plane's door mid-flight.
Spanish cops were waiting on the tarmac and got the 28-year-old who was reportedly so intoxicated he didn't realise the plane was still in the air.
The sky-high chaos happened on board an EasyJet flight from London Gatwick to Alicante-Elche in Spain.
Also in May, Gatwick's South terminal was evacuated with scores of frustrated passengers forced outside.
Read More on The Sun
Holidaymakers at the popular airport were told to leave after a "fire alarm" went off.
But "no fire" was found after the Airport Fire Service team swept the scene.
3
Topics