BREAKING: EasyJet passengers forced to evacuate Manchester Airport plane during incident

Emergency services were scrambled to evacuate holidaymakers from an easyJet flight as the aircraft was preparing to leave Manchester Airport.

The flight was preparing to leave Terminal 1 for Lanzarote as the incident unfolded on Saturday morning (September 13).

The incident appears to have been sparked by a problem with the aircraft tug - a vehicle that moves planes on the ground as they do not have a reverse gear.

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The tug vehicle reportedly made contact with the front wheels of the plane, triggering an emergency response from on-site rescue crews.

Passengers travelling on flight EZY 2029 were forced to disembark and board another aircraft to allow safety checks to be carried out.

Other flights have not been impacted by the operation, which saw one boarding gate at the airport put out of action, Manchester Airport confirmed.

Images shared on social media show several emergency service vehicles on the tarmac in a snap taken from the Terminal 1 building.

It is understood that is standard procedure. The flight, which was due to leave at 7am, later departed safely.

EasyJet has been contacted for comment.

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