A flight from Bristol Airport was forced to land shortly after take-off following technical difficulties. Passengers were asked to leave the plane – flight EZY2963 to Marrakesh – and were met by emergency services after it landed back at the Somerset airport this morning (Thursday, January 2).
A spokesperson for easyJet said the landing was due to a technical issue. A replacement craft was arranged while passengers were grounded and the flight eventually departed later in the afternoon.
AirLive, which tracks flights, said the craft was around 30 minutes into its journey to Marrakesh when it turned around over Brittany and headed back for Bristol, with pilots declaring an emergency.
A spokesperson for the airline said: “easyJet can confirm that flight EZY2963 from Bristol to Marrakesh today returned to Bristol shortly after take-off due to a technical issue.
“The aircraft landed normally and was met by emergency services as a routine and precautionary measure. Passengers disembarked into the terminal where we provided refreshments and a replacement aircraft and crew were arranged to continue the flight which departed this afternoon.
“The safety of our customers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority and easyJet operates its fleet of aircraft in strict compliance with all manufacturers’ guidelines.
“We would like to apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused.”