Passengers in 7-hour bus ordeal after Cork flight grounded

DOZENS of air passengers had to endure a seven-hour coach journey the length of the country last night after their flight was grounded for safety reasons.

Cork-bound Aer Arann flight RE304, which had about 36 people on board, was about to take off from Belfast City Airport at 8.10pm when passengers noticed a very strong smell of aviation fuel inside the cabin.

Cork businessman Michael Mulcahy said he saw a type of vapour form in the cabin and spread.