Emergency landing at Kirkwall Airport

An aircraft flying from Aberdeen to Shetland was forced to make an emergency landing at Kirkwall Airport this afternoon, after a cargo door opened during the flight.

The plane, which was carrying 17 passengers and 3 crew,  was diverted to Kirkwall following the activation of a cabin de-pressurisation warning light.

Phil Preston , Loganair’s chief operating officer said: “There was an issue with the cargo door at the rear of the aircraft. Our crew followed the correct procedures and  the aircraft landed safely at Kirkwall Airport at 12.30pm, where it was met by emergency services as a precaution.”

He added “A secondary aircraft is being flown up from Aberdeen to transport the passengers. A full inspection of the aircraft is currently being carried out by our engineering team.”

Loganair confirmed there was a technical issue with the cargo door, situated at the rear of the plane, separate from passenger area of the aircraft, which allowed the door to open inwards by approx 1.5 inches.