Flybe flight ‘quarantined’ at Manchester airport

Aircraft pictured surrounded by police

A flight to Manchester Airport has been surrounded by police and reportedly quarantined for two hours after a woman became ill onboard.

Flybe flight BE3122 from Paris landed this morning only to be put on “lock-down” while confused passengers were stranded inside.

Those onboard shared pictures of multiple police vans surrounding the aircraft on social media.

“Currently stranded on the BE3122 flight from Paris to Manchester Airport,” tweeted user Nicholas Visuals, alongside a photo which appears to show at least eight emergency services vehicles next to the plane. He said the flight had landed two hours prior.

“Someone is sick inside,” added @Coin2mire. “Health officers are outside and we have no idea why it’s taking so long... Some kind of a quarantine!”

Travellers said they were “in the dark” about what was happening, with passenger Craig Hawley tweeting that they were all on “lock-down”.

They have since been allowed off the flight, according to @Coin2mire, who tweeted at 12.37pm: “WE ARE FINALLY OUT!”

The woman appears to have been evacuated.

Flybe said in a statement: “Flybe confirms that, as a precautionary measure on arrival in Manchester and following a passenger on the above flight falling sick, it has worked closely with the Public Health England to collect the full contact details from all 107 passengers on board.

“This would allow them to be fully traceable if, in what would be a very rare instance, they might need to be uniquely alerted by the authority at some point in the future.

“Flybe sincerely apologises to the passengers for the delay to their travel plans upon arrival and for the inconvenience experienced however the health and welfare of its passengers and crew remain our number one priority at all times.”

It is still unclear what illness the female passenger is suffering from.