A passenger jet has landed safely at Manchester Airport after being forced to return to the airport shortly after take-off because of engine trouble. The Flybe plane, bound for Bournemouth, initially encountered some technical difficulties. The crew told passengers that there was nothing to worry about, but the situation worsened to the point where it was decided that one of the aircraft’s engines should be shut down.

One of the passengers said that the plane’s captain had spoken to those on board twice over the PA system. The passenger added that the aircraft had gone pretty silent after the announcements except for some female passengers, who began to get upset. The passenger went on to say that the Flybe crew handled everything extremely professionally and managed to keep everyone calm.

As the aircraft returned to Manchester to make an emergency landing, the airport was placed on full alert. Fire crews were deployed as the plane came into land but the aircraft managed to touch down without incident. None of the 40 or so passengers on board was harmed. Everyone on board was extremely relieved to be down safely, especially after they had seen the fire engines on the tarmac, according to the passenger.

A spokeswoman for the airline said that the aircraft returned to Manchester Airport as a precautionary measure. She added that Flybe placed the safety of its passengers above all other considerations and everybody had managed to get off the aircraft normally.

The passengers have all since managed to get to Bournemouth safely.