24 January 2023 , 17:34
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A British Airways plane was forced to make an emergency landing after its cockpit filled up with smoke.
The flight had taken off from Gatwick Airport in London yesterday morning (January 23) and was on its way to Verona in Italy when smoke appeared in the cockpit, triggering an alarm.
Although the plane managed to reach its destination its pilots asked for priority landing as a precaution.
The flight landed safely at Valerio Catullo Airport, with none of the 151 passengers, seven crew or two pilots reporting injuries.
A British Airways spokesperson said: "Our pilots requested a priority landing in Verona as a precaution due to a minor technical issue.
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"The aircraft landed normally and customers disembarked as usual."
Valerio Catullo Airport officials said: "This morning British Airways flight BA2596 from London to Verona requested a priority landing.
The flight landed safely at Valerio Catullo Airport in Verona, Italy (Newsflash)"Following the request, the control tower activated the airport local stand by procedure and mobilised, as usual, the airport security staff, for any prompt intervention.
"The aircraft, on board which there were 51 passengers and seven crew members, made a regular landing. Normal routine checks are in progress.
"The incident did not have any consequences on the passengers and on the airport's operations."
Last month, a flight full of passengers was forced to make an emergency landing at Heathrow Airport shortly after take off after a "strange smell" was reported.
Reports suggested pilots on the British Airways flight made the decision to return the aircraft - which had departed to Nice - back to the airport after members of staff reported fumes.
The BA flight had taken off from Gatwick Airport (stock image) (Newsflash)Flight trackers showed flight BA 348 landed at Heathrow and was delayed following an emergency.
A spokesman for the airline confirmed the plane returned to the airport after a technical issue, with passengers asked to wait for a replacement aircraft.
One passenger reported "strange smells" on board the flight, added the pilots were seen wearing oxygen masks.
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They tweeted: "Current pax and happen to be. A a320 pilot. Definitely strange smells. Pilots on oxygen masks.
And yesterday, more than 80 British Airways flights were reportedly cancelled at Heathrow Airport amid travel chaos as freezing fog decreased visibility and sent temperatures plummeting to -8C.
Some 12,000 passengers expecting to fly to or from the UK's busiest airport faced having their travel plans scuppered as a result.
Links with Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Milan Malpensa, Paris CDG and Stockholm were axed, according to reports.
It comes after the same airline halted around 70 flights due to fog at the London airport.
At least 20 outbound departures to domestic and European destinations are thought to have been cancelled on Sunday.