A source from the District Relief Operations Command (CDOS) of Faro told Lusa that the easyJet flight declared an emergency at around 21:43 and was forced to return to Faro Airport, before landing safely at around 22:00.

“The previous intervention plan for Faro International Airport was activated, at red alert level, and 34 vehicles with 80 personnel were dispatched to the site. The aircraft landed safely, the checks were carried out and it returned to the hangar for further checks”.

According to reports the crew on the flight with about 190 passengers, bound for Glasgow, Scotland, was alerted to a fire in one of the plane's engines.

The engine was turned off and an emergency was declared from the aircraft. After landing, firefighters inspected the aircraft, which had no signs of fire.

Airbus A320 flight data show that the aircraft circled the Algarve region for a few minutes before returning to Faro Airport.