SriLankan makes emergency landing in UK - Two held

British police arrested two men on suspicion of endangering an aircraft after a SriLankan Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Stansted Airport, officials said yesterday.

The Airbus A330, which was carrying 267 passengers and crew, was due to land at London’s Heathrow Airport but was diverted to Stansted, eastern England, just after 1830 GMT on Friday, a Stansted spokesman said.

“The aircraft, which was flying from Colombo to Heathrow, landed safely with Essex police in attendance,” the airport spokesman said.

A spokesman for Essex police said, “Police officers boarded the aircraft and arrested two men on suspicion of endangering an aircraft. The passengers have been removed safely. Inquiries are ongoing.”

The nationality of the arrested men was not immediately disclosed.

The remaining passengers are being looked after at a reception centre at Stansted and were due to be transferred to Heathrow later in the day. Stansted remains open and operating normally, the airport spokesman said.

- AFP