Virgin Atlantic plane forced to make emergency landing in Manchester as ‘dense smoke fills cockpit’ soon after takeoff
A VIRGIN Atlantic plane was forced to make an emergency landing as "dense smoke" filled the cockpit.
The jet had taken off from Manchester Airport on route to Barbados but returned around 20 minutes into the journey.
It was met on the runway by three fire engines at 1.50pm on Sunday after declaring an emergency over the Irish Sea.
Aviation website AirLive suggested there were unconfirmed reports of "smoke in the cockpit".
It added that "pilots are reporting dense and acrid smell of smoke on air traffic control".
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: "The VS77 from Manchester to Barbados has returned to Manchester due to a technical issue.
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"The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.
"We'll ensure our customers can complete their travel plans and keep them updated directly on next steps."
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: "At just after 1.30pm today (Sunday), firefighters were called to an incident involving an aircraft making an emergency landing at Manchester Airport.
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"Three fire engines from Wythenshawe and Stockport, the Technical Response Unit from Ashton and the Command Support Unit from Hyde arrived quickly at the scene.
"Working alongside Manchester Airport fire personnel, firefighters were on standby for the aircraft's arrival, which landed safely.
"Our crews were in attendance for approximately one and a half hours."
