UPDATED: Emergency declared on flight to Norwich airport

Fifteen fire engines and several ambulances were called to Norwich airport this evening (Tuesday) after a flight on route to the city declared an emergency when smoke was spotted in the cockpit.

Fifteen fire engines were called to Norwich International Airport after a flight on route to the city declared an emergency when smoke was spotted in the cockpit.

The alert was raised this evening (Tuesday) when the Flybe BE547 service from Edinburgh, carrying 55 passengers and four crew members, was about 15 minutes away from Norwich.

The plane landed safely at about 7.15pm.

Richard Pace, operations director at Norwich International Airport, said: 'There was a full emergency declared for the inbound flight BE547 from Edinburgh to Norwich.

'The emergency incident was declared when at 19.01 local time the captain reported smoke in the cockpit.

'The airport emergency plan was then activated.'

Mr Pace said activating the emergency plan was a precautionary procedure and that the aircraft landed safely and the passengers disembarked in the normal manner.

He said outbound passengers, who were due to be travelling to Edinburgh on the same plane last night, instead travelled on the Manchester flight, which made an extra stop in Edinburgh.

No action was required by the fire service and all crews were stood down by 7.20pm

The East of England Ambulance Service sent a paramedic officer, an air ambulance crew by land, a land ambulance and a hazardous area response team.

Both the paramedic officer and the hazardous area response team were stood down before they arrived and nobody was taken to hospital.

Were you on the flight? Call reporter Emma Knights on 01603 772428 or email emma.knights@archant.co.uk