An Edinburgh flight bound for the United States has been grounded in the capital after a fuel leak on the tarmac forced a major cleanup operation.
The United Airlines UA37 daily service to New Jersey’s Newark was due to take off shortly after 9am on Sunday morning but passengers were prevented from boarding amid concerns of an issue with the aircraft.
Emergency crews were scrambled to assist with the procedure to remove the substance, however an Edinburgh Airport spokesman said there was no further danger to travellers.
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United are understood to have opted to cancel the flight until the Boeing 757-200 could be fixed.
The 169-seat aircraft, the last of which was produced in 2004, has operated the route since services resumed on March 5 this year.
United is also due to start flights between Edinburgh and the US cities of Chicago and Washington DC in May.
Both of those services will be run on the same type of Boeing plane, according to the airline.
The berth where the leak occurred remains closed until the spillage can be properly cleared, according to airport bosses.
Passengers with tickets for the flight are understood to have been rebooked onto different journeys.
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An Edinburgh Airport spokesman said: “Our teams responded to an incident to ensure the safety of passengers, staff and our airfield.
“We have highly trained staff who routinely respond to various incidents, and they are in the process of cleaning the area.
“Passengers should contact their airline for the latest information on their flight and plans for departure.”
Edinburgh Live has contacted United Airlines for comment.
