The “positioning flight” was run by Emerald Airlines for Aer Lingus and had left Edinburgh in Scotland for Belfast at 4pm.
A Belfast City Airport spokesperson said there were no passengers on board when the plane crash landed, and the four crew members on board were reportedly not seriously injured.
“The airport’s emergency procedures were enacted. The runway is currently closed and will be for the rest of the day. Passengers are asked to contact their airline,” they continued.
Fire Service Area Commander David Doherty said firefighters responded to the emergency with several units, but did not have to take instant action at the scene - though some stayed at the airport as a precaution.
According to an Emerald Airlines spokesperson, “An Emerald Airlines positioning flight, EA701P, with no passengers on board, flying from Edinburgh to Belfast City Airport experienced a hard landing upon arriving into Belfast City Airport due to adverse weather conditions.”
It comes after at least 100 flights at London’s Heathrow Airport were cancelled amid a yellow alert, referring to a “prolonged period of strong winds”.
A spokesman for British Airways said, “Due to adverse weather this weekend, restrictions have been put on the number of flights able to take off and land at Heathrow and therefore we’ve had to make a small number of cancellations.”
The airline would offer free flight changes to affected passengers, as well as rebooking and refunding options.
“While the vast majority of our customers will travel as planned, our teams are working hard to help those who have been affected get their travel plans back on track at this important time of year.”
