Canada-bound flight makes emergency landing in Iceland after reports of 'mechanical fault'

A flight from London to Canada made an unscheduled landing in Iceland following reports of a mid-air emergency. The WestJet Boeing 767 flight to Edmonton was diverted just two hours after taking off from Gatwick at 11:09 BST flight after pilots reported a suspected mechanical fault.

A WestJet spokeswoman said the crew had discovered a "potential mechanical issue" on flight WS27 but that did "not necessarily mean an actual emergency has occurred".

She added: "WestJet sincerely apologises to our guests for the inconvenience and thanks them for their patience."

The Canadian airline said the pilots acted "out of an abundance of caution," BBC News reports.

The plane was due to land in Edmonton, Canada, at 12.59pm local time. Passengers were put up in hotels as new flights were arranged while the plane undergoes maintenance at Keflavik Airport near Reykjavik.

The flight later safely landed in Iceland shortly before 4pm and is now back en route to Edmonton, Canada where it is due to land at 1.17pm local time according to The Sun.