SHANNON Airport crews were on standby yesterday evening as a plane bound for New York was forced to make an emergency landing.
The Delta Air Lines flight DL-4 had left London’s Heathrow Airport at 4:45pm but the crew broadcast an emergency signal just two hours into the journey, due to a possible overheating of the cockpit windows.
There were 143 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 767-400(ER) jet.
And passengers have yet to resume their journey stateside following the emergency detour.
Crews received clearance from the traffic controllers at AirNav Ireland’s North Atlantic Communications Centre to divert to Shannon Airport in Co Clare.
The crew onboard the plane confirmed to personnel on the ground they would need emergency services on standby over fears the breaks would overheat during landing.
Shannon Airport Fire and Rescue Service were alerted and units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Shannon station rushed to the scene.
Crews from Ennis fire station were also dispatched to standby adjacent to the M18 motorway.
National Ambulance Paramedics also attended the scene for support.
The fire crews at the scene manned designated points along the run way ready for action if required once the plane landed.
The flight made a safe landing at the Munster airport at 7.45pm.
Fire crews inspected the jet’s breaking system and clearance was given and the plane was then taxied to the terminal building were aircraft engineering staff were standing by.
A spokesperson for Shannon Airport confirmed passengers are expected to continue their journey at 2pm today.
They said: “Delta Air Lines flight DL-4, en route from London Heathrow to New York JFK Airport, made an emergency landing at Shannon Airport last night due to a reported technical issue.
“Shannon Airport’s emergency services, along with local fire and rescue units, responded promptly to ensure the safety of all on board.
“The flight landed safely at 7:45 PM, and passengers were deplaned and taken to the airport’s transit lounge.
“The aircraft remained at Shannon overnight for inspection. Passengers are expected to resume their journey to New York at 2.pm today.”
‘NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SAFETY’
A spokesperson for Delta Air Lines has apologised to customers for the “delay”.
They said: “We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travel plans.
“As nothing is more important than safety, the crew of Delta flight 4 followed standard procedures to divert to Shannon, Ireland after observing a mechanical issue.
“The flight landed safely and customers deplaned at an arrival gate.”
And the airline added last night: “The Captain followed standard procedures to declare an emergency for priority air traffic control handling and divert to the nearest suitable airport.
“The aircraft is being evaluated and teams are looking at all options to get customers to their destination as quickly and as possible.”
