A transatlantic jet has diverted to Shannon Airport this afternoon after the crew declared an emergency reporting smoke on board.
Pakistan International Airlines flight PK-711 from Manchester to New York was just north of Omagh in Co Tyrone when the crew declared an emergency and requested permission to divert Shannon.
The crew reported they had received a ‘smoke indication’ from sensors in one of the planes toilets.
Airport crash crews took up positions at dedicated holding points along the runway in advanced of the aircraft’s arrival. There were 205 passengers and crew on board.
Fire crews from Shannon Town were mobilised to the airport along with ambulances from Ennis and Limerick. Ennis fire service was tied up at a major gorse fire at the time so Limerick City Fire Service was sent instead.
Before the Boeing 777-300 jet could land, the crew had to dump several thousand litres of aviation fuel to ensure they could land within safe landing weight limits.
The flight, with its 205 passengers and crew, touched down safely at 2.38pm.
Fire crews quickly surrounded the jet on the runway to check whether the landing gear had overheated during the heavy landing.
The jet was able to taxi to the terminal where a further investigation of the problem was undertaken.
UPDATE
The flight was able to continue is journey at 8.30pm after almost 6 hours on the ground.