Canada-bound WestJet flight from Gatwick diverts to Iceland
- Published
WestJet operates a fleet of Boeing 767 and Boeing 737 aircraft
A flight from London to Canada has made an unscheduled landing in Iceland after declaring a mid-air emergency because of a suspected mechanical fault.
The WestJet Boeing 767 flight to Edmonton diverted about two hours after taking off from Gatwick at 11:09 BST.
The Canadian airline said the pilots acted "out of an abundance of caution" and the plane will undergo maintenance at Keflavik Airport near Reykjavik.
Passengers are being put up in hotels as new flights are arranged.
A WestJet spokeswoman said the crew had discovered a "potential mechanical issue" on flight WS27 but stressed declaring an emergency did "not necessarily mean an actual emergency has occurred".
She added: "WestJet sincerely apologises to our guests for the inconvenience and thanks them for their patience."