EasyJet flight to Tenerife forced to make emergency landing

The plane was carrying about 244 holidaymakers to the Spanish island of Tenerife when the incident occurred.

Flight U28033 was flying over western France this morning when it transmitted the emergency code 7700, MailOnline reports.

The plane had to return to Gatwick, where it had departed.

According to the Flight Emergency news agency, a hydraulic failure occurred in the Airbus A321neo passenger plane at around 8:40 am.

A Gatwick Airport spokeswoman told the outlet: “The aircraft landed safely and there are no operational implications for the airport.”

One passenger claimed holidaymakers had to wait on the tarmac for more than an hour before being allowed to depart after landing at Gatwick.

Brian Marcel, 78, from London, who was travelling to Tenerife for a three-day golfing holiday, told the newspaper that some youths on board ‘stood up’ before flight attendants told them they would be thrown off the plane if they behaved ‘inappropriately’.

When the plane landed, it had to be towed away “because there were no hydraulics,” he said.

Photos from the plane show a police officer talking to some passengers.

Another passenger, Annie Passingham, 32, from Bracknell, claimed a group of men who had bought vodka were ‘drinking’ and ‘verbally aggressive’.

But the group calmed down after police boarded the jet, she told MailOnline.

While Mr Marcel said there was “no panic” when the plane returned, others said some fellow passengers appeared scared.

Mrs Passingham told the newspaper that some children appeared to be in panic, as did a man who was due to get married in Tenerife on Friday.

After waiting on the tarmac, the frustrated holidaymakers were finally told they would be boarding another plane at 1:30pm.

An EasyJet spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: ‘We can confirm that the captain of flight EZY8033 from London Gatwick to Tenerife decided to return to Gatwick as a precaution due to a technical issue.

‘The captain conducted a routine landing according to standard procedures and the passengers disembarked in the normal manner.

‘We have arranged an alternative aircraft for the flight to Tenerife and would like to thank our customers for their patience and apologise for any inconvenience the delay has caused.

‘The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is our highest priority and easyJet operates its aircraft strictly in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines.’

This comes after a Delta Airlines flight with 277 passengers on board made an emergency landing at JFK Airport on Wednesday following a “contamination incident.”

Passengers were served ‘contaminated food’ on the flight from Detroit to Amsterdam, forcing the plane back to JFK airport in New York.

Were you on the flight? Contact noora.mykkanen@metro.co.uk.

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