Shocking plane crash that cancelled several UK flights is being investigated
An investigation has been launched after a shocking plane crash led to multiple flights across the UK last month.
On 22 December 2024, an Aer Lingus plane crash landed at Belfast City Airport after attempting to land in adverse weather conditions. Strong winds had been forecasted for the Northern Irish city at the time, causing disruption with road, rail, air and ferry services.
The shocking incident, which saw the plane appearing to slam nose first into the tarmac after it's front landing gear collapsed, lead to the airport being closed until the following day.
There were no passengers onboard the flight at the time, with none of the four crew members reporting any injuries, Manchester Evening News reports.
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The emergency incident led to widespread disruption at the airport, as all flights in and out of Belfast City were either diverted or cancelled - throwing many peoples' Christmas plans into disarray.
A new update on the incident has confirmed that a further investigation will now take place, with the damaged aircraft currently unable to leave the airport.
"The aircraft has not been moved because it is due to undergo further examination work as part of the ongoing investigation," a spokeswoman for the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said (via Belfast Live).
"Our investigation into the accident on December 22 is still ongoing and it is too early to provide an update."
It is believed the investigation could take between nine to 12 months to complete.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Emerald Airlines - who operate a number of Aer Lingus regional flights - added that they were currently unable to say whether or not the plane would be able to resume service.
"An Emerald Airlines positioning flight, EA701P, with no passengers on board, flying from Edinburgh to Belfast City Airport, 22nd December 2024, experienced a hard landing upon arriving into Belfast City Airport due to adverse weather conditions," the statement read.
"Due to ongoing reviews, we will not be providing further comment at this time."
LADbible has contacted Emerald Airlines for further comment.
Last year's incident isn't the only disruption UK airports have faced in recent weeks due to adverse weather.
An Arctic blast which saw the Met Office issue amber and yellow weather warnings across the country last week saw numerous airports forced to close their runaways due to heavy snowfall, as temperatures reached as low as -13.9C in remote parts of the country.
Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds Bradford and Manchester were amongst the airports forced to temporarily shut their runways, with the latter facing disruption on numerous days.
Brenna Cooper