Belfast Airport back to normal after mechanical hitch

Scores of passengers left stranded after two de-icing machines broke down at George Best Belfast City Airport will be booked on to the next available flights, a spokeswoman said today.

Services in and out of the airport were hit last night after the unprecedented mechanical failures.

Thirteen flights were cancelled but a spokeswoman said services had now returned to normal.

Airline Flybe, which operates one of the machines to de-ice planes and is the airport’s biggest user, cancelled a number of services.

The other machine was operated by ground-handling agent Aviance.

It is understood one of the machines was repaired at 8.30pm, shortly after the breakdowns.

The runway remained open last night but incoming flights were also disrupted due to knock-on delays at boarding gates.

Airport chiefs were limited to operating flights up until 9.30pm but services are allowed up until midnight in exceptional circumstances.