The Icelandair flight from Paris to Keflavik was diverted after declaring an emergency while in UK airspaceThe flight diverted to Manchester after declaring an emergency(Image: AirNav.Radar)

A plane bound for Iceland was met by fire engines after making an emergency landing at Manchester Airport.

The Icelandair flight from Paris to Keflavik was diverted after declaring an emergency while in UK airspace. It left Paris Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport on Friday afternoon having been delayed by more than five hours.

But around one hour after take-off, pilots declared a general emergency and started the descent near Liverpool, before landing at Manchester at around 4pm. On arrival the Boeing 767 was met by several fire engines on the runway.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: “At just before 4pm today, firefighters were called to an incident involving an aircraft making an emergency landing at Manchester Airport. Three fire engines from Withington and Wythenshawe, the Technical Response Unit and Command Support Unit from Ashton arrived quickly at the scene.

“Working alongside Manchester Airport fire personnel, firefighters were on standby for the aircraft’s arrival, which landed safely. Crews were in attendance for approximately 35 minutes.”

The reason for the emergency is not known at this stage. Icelandair has been contacted for a comment.

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