A TUI passenger plane has caught fire on the runway at Manchester Airport as emergency services race to the scene.
Fire crews raced to the scene earlier this evening after a flight from Mahon, Spain landed with smoke coming from one of its engines.
Shocked holidaymakers looked on from Terminal 2 departure lounges as they tackled the blaze, reports the Mirror.
Fire engines were seen dousing the right engine with water after it suffered a "technical fault" and reportedly overheated.
All passengers had disembarked and the safety of crew was not compromised, said TUI.
One traveller wrote on Twitter : "Sat on the ground waiting for take off and saw a few fire engines and other emergency vehicles going past.
"They've said on our flight that there was an incident with an arriving flight."
Another said the flames had been extinguished, posting: "Engine fire on stand.
"It's out but I imagine there's no runway cover from the fire service as they are all at the aircraft."
A third wrote: "Engine fire at Manchester airport T2", while a fourth added: "Wonder what’s going on at Manchester airport.
"Had a go around and now nothing taking off or landing and in holding positions."
An eyewitness also told MailOnline : "Suddenly just a load of fire engines appeared and started spraying it down with water while we were having a drink at the bar.
"All this smoke started coming out. It looked like one of the engines had overheated."
TUI apologised to customers and said the safety of its passengers and crew "always remains its highest priority".
A spokesperson for the airline said: “We can confirm flight TOM2609 Mahon to Manchester airport experienced a technical fault on arrival to the stand and was met by the fire service.
"The safety of our passengers and crew was not compromised and always remains our highest priority. The aircraft was completely safe to land, and all passengers have been disembarked.
"Any customers who may experience a delay due to this will be contacted to advise them of any changes.
"We understand how unsettling it can be when an aircraft is met by emergency services so we will continue to offer our full support.
"We'd like to apologise to all customers for the inconvenience and thank them for their patience and understanding at this time.”
The Mirror has contacted Manchester Airport for comment.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .
READ NEXT:
