Lightning strike forces Guernsey plane to return to base

The company said the plane landed safely after the incident

A plane was forced to abandon its flight after being struck by lightning in mid-air, an airline company said.

The Aurigny flight from Guernsey to London Gatwick, which took off at about 17:25 BST on Monday, returned to base shortly after departure.

In a statement the airline, owned by the Guernsey States, said the Embraer 195 jet had been able to "land safely" following the strike.

Two flights were cancelled as a result of the incident.

The statement, posted on the airline's Facebook page, said: "Safety is always our number one priority, and once the aircraft has been fully checked over, and declared serviceable, it will be returned to operational use. We will do this as quick as we possibly can."

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