Isle of Man Airport runway reopens after emergency landing oil spill

The emergency services inspected the aircraft on the runway

The main runway at Isle of Man Airport has reopened following an oil spill after a freight plane carried out an emergency landing.

The plane caused a "large amount of hydraulic oil" to be left on the runway on Thursday, the airport said.

The aircraft had developed a "serious hydraulic issue" upon take-off, sparking a full emergency response at about 20:30 BST.

The runway was blocked until about 22:30.

The plane returned to the airport shortly after take-off

The airport said the aircraft's crew had brought it to a stop after it "lost steering and developed potential brake issues" upon landing, which blocked the runway.

The plane could not then be moved while the Air Accidents Investigation Branch held the plane in situ under quarantine for review.

Delayed post

The remaining outbound EasyJet flights to Manchester and Gatwick had to be cancelled.

After the plane was moved efforts began to clear the oil, with the runway reopening at about 06:40.

Passengers have been warned to expect disruption to some of the morning's flights as a result of the earlier closure.

The Isle of Man Post Office said its aircraft carrying inbound mail to the island had been delayed in landing due to the disruption, making it unlikely it would connect with the day's deliveries.

However, the post office said the "best endeavours will be made to deliver priority items including Special Delivery and Parcelforce24".