Widespread fear and panic over a smell coming from an Ibiza flight to the UK yesterday saw the plane held up for over two hours.
The White Isle flight was already delayed due to a ‘technical fault’ which engineers were examining.
This meant passengers were left sitting on the runway in the heat according to those travelling on board.
However, the Jet2 flight’s problems intensified when once all back aboard the aircraft, panic and fear set in over a smell towards the rear of the plane.
According to reports in the Manchester Evening News, as the plane was taxiing, some passengers towards the back of the plane reported that they could smell a strange odour and could feel heat through the aircraft walls.
This is said to have caused distress with one woman suffering a panic attack and one passenger saying they wanted to get off the plane.
The plane, which was bound for Manchester, was then taken back to the stand causing further delay.
Its understood the flight, LS170, did eventually take off, with all passengers on board, just over two hours after its scheduled departure time of 11:30am.
It landed in Manchester yesterday afternoon, at around 3.20pm.
One passenger, who didn’t want to be named, said: “I was at the front of the plane and we just heard this commotion coming from the back, everyone was standing up and there was shouting and panic.
“It was really scary, we didn’t know what was going on. I grabbed my passport and phone and put my shoes back on just in case we had to evacuate.
“One woman told her children to take their seatbelts off, no-one knew what was going on.”
Jet2 has said the commotion was down to a ‘nervous’ flyer.
In a statement tonight, the airline said: “Flight LS170 was delayed earlier today after some routine checks, as well as the aircraft having to return to stand shortly after push back due to a nervous customer onboard.
“The flight subsequently took off and landed at Manchester Airport as normal.”
