CARDIFF AIRPORT ACTIVATED its full emergency protocols due to a Cork bound Aer Lingus flight which was forced to divert to the Welsh capital last night.

Flight EI845 was travelling from Amsterdam when the emergency was declared. Fire trucks scrambled to the aircraft as it touched down on the runway

Full emergency situations are reserved for when an aircraft is suspected of having an operational defect that could cause an accident.

A spokesperson for Cardiff airport explained that while full emergency situations aren’t uncommon at the airport only a handful of them occur every year.

“It’s not something that happens everyday,” she said.

The aircraft landed safely just after 9pm and the 169 passengers disembarked normally.

Aer Lingus said the diversion took place due to a “technical fault”. The airline dispatched an aircraft from Dublin which brought the passengers on to Cork late last night. They eventually arrived in Cork after 1am.

“We apologise sincerely to our guests for the disruption to their travel plans,” the company said in a statement.

Cardiff airport remained open and operated as normal during the emergency.

“The safety and security of staff and customers remains our top priority, and our team responded on landing as per emergency protocols,” the airport said in a statement.

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