A Lisbon to London plane has reportedly been diverted to Porto because of ‘smoke on board.’
The alert was sounded this afternoon around 4.45pm, local media reported.
Data from FlightRadar24 showed that Flight TP1356 left Lisbon at 3.46pm local time for London’s Heathrow Airport before the diversion to Porto’s Francisco de Sa Carneiro Airport.
But at around 4:20pm, the plane, run by TAP Air, was seen making a loop over western Spain, heading back towards Porto.
It then landed at the Porto airport just after 5pm.
Portuguese Civil Protection sources told respected Portuguese daily Correio da Manha: ‘There are 194 passengers on board and crew and passengers are in need of urgent medical assistance.’
Emergency services are already on the runway at Porto where the TAP Air plane landed just over an hour ago.
The emergency responders include police, firefighters and Red Cross officials as well as paramedics.
The TAP Air plane was seen making a loop over western Spain, heading back towards Porto (File image)
Data from FlightRadar24 showed that Flight TP1356 left Lisbon at 3.46pm local time for London’s Heathrow Airport before the diversion to Porto’s Francisco de Sa Carneiro Airport
Other planes had to wait in the air for permission to land so the aircraft at the centre of the drama could make an emergency landing.
It emerged several people had been taken to hospital following the mid-air drama.
Portuguese daily Correio da Manha said nine people had suffered smoke inhalation and been hospitalised and another two passengers had been assisted by medical responders next to the aircraft.
The airline could not be reached to confirm the casualty figures and the nationalities of those who required medical treatment is not yet known.
A TAP spokesman had earlier said the plane was diverted to Porto because of a ‘technical issue and landed safely’ saying passengers would be put on another aircraft so they could reach their intended destination as soon as possible.
MailOnline has contacted Francisco de Sa Carneiro Airport for comment.
