Air travellers in smoke scare

Around 60 passengers had to leave a plane by emergency chutes after the cabin began to fill with smoke.

Two-thirds of the passengers had disembarked as usual via the air bridge to the terminal building when smoke began to fill the cabin. The crew released three chutes to allow the remaining passengers to leave the aircraft as quickly as possible as a precaution while the cause of the smoke was investigated.

It is thought the smoke was caused by excess oil in a power unit which was turned on as standard practice on landing to provide the cabin with electricity and air conditioning. There was no fire. A Thomas Cook Airlines spokeswoman said the chutes were used purely as a precautionary measure.