A Ryanair flight has been forced into an emergency landing after a "bomb threat" was made in mid air, reports suggest.
Passengers were reportedly been ordered to stay aboard the Boeing 737 as officials investigated the incident.
The aircraft was stationed at South Charleroi Airport in Brussels, Belgium following its journey from Faro International Airport in the Algarve, Portugal.
Belgium’s second largest airport confirmed a "bomb threat was triggered" on Tuesday morning and emergency services erected a 500-meter safety perimeter around Flight FR6313.
According to the Brussels Times, police ordered all its 166 passengers to be kept aboard the jet.
A spokesperson for Ryanair told the Lusa portegeuse news agency the bomb threat was a “false alarm”.
The airport's website shows numerous flights have been affected by the incident, with some delayed indefinitely.
Flights to cities such as Gran Canaria, Reus and Almería have all had their departure times pushed back.
A spokesman said: "This Tuesday morning, shortly before 11am, a bomb threat was triggered on board a plane that landed at Charleroi airport.
“A security perimeter was set up around the aircraft, necessitating the closure of the runway and therefore the interruption of operations.”
We sincerely apologise to any passengers affected
They added: "The relevant authorities have taken over. We will keep you informed of further developments.”
Ryanair said in a statement: “Ryanair was informed of a security threat on flight FR6313 from Faro to Brussels Charleroi today, May 13. The aircraft landed normally at Charleroi as planned.
“Passengers have been disembarked and the aircraft is being prepared for return to service. We sincerely apologise to any passengers affected.”
Charleroi, south of Brussels, is a major European hub for low-cost airline Ryanair, with a large number of routes and a growing fleet of aircraft stationed at the airport.
A wide variety of destinations served, including many popular European destinations, such as Barcelona and Porto.
