Never miss a thing from Belfast and beyond - sign up for FREE updates direct to your email inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

An investigation has been launched after a Ryanair flight to Spain did a U-turn just minutes after taking off from Northern Ireland – because the baggage from a previous flight had not been unloaded.

The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, aborted its flight to Alicante shortly after take-off and returned to City of Derry Airport yesterday evening after the captain announced to passengers that he was turning the aircraft around because ‘they had forgotten a bag’.

The flight, which originally took off at 17:55 for the popular tourist destination, turned round and landed back at the Derry airport approximately 20 minutes later.

Baggage was unloaded and the aircraft took off again for Spain at 7pm.

One passenger aboard the plane, Maoliosa Boyle, took to social media to vent her frustration.

“Only in Derry,” she said. “Took off from Eglinton airport for Spain and 20 minutes into the flight... 'We apologise as we have to turn back, we forgot a bag'. Seriously! U-turn back”.

A spokesman for Ryanair confirmed the incident.

“This flight from Derry to Alicante (27 July) returned to Derry shortly after take-off to unload baggage from the previous flight, which the third party ground handling agent had failed to remove before take-off,” he said.

“The aircraft landed normally, the baggage was removed and the flight departed to Alicante.

"Ryanair apologised to customers affected by this short delay.”

A spokeswoman from City of Derry Airport apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers and confirmed that an investigation is underway.

Back in 2006 a passenger jet destined for City of Derry Airport landed at an army base six miles away by mistake.

The Liverpool to City of Derry service, which was being operated by Eirjet on behalf of Ryanair, landed at the nearby Ballykelly army base airstrip after the pilot mistakenly thought he was landing at the official airport.

MORE:

MORE: