A flight to Manchester had to make an emergency landing after the plane’s windscreen cracked mid-air, forcing passengers to finish off the journey by coach.

Aurigny flight GR678 took off from Guernsey at 5.17pm for an hour-long flight to Manchester on Sunday, 7 June.

The ATR 72 aircraft, which is a short-haul propeller plane, was flying near Basingstoke in Hampshire when it suddenly made a large U-turn.

The plane then made an unexpected landing at Southampton airport after diverting its route south.

The flight is believed to have diverted due to its windscreen cracking after it left Guernsey.

In a statement, Aurigny said: "In line with standard operating procedures, the flight crew carried out a precautionary emergency landing. Passengers and crew are safe and well."

Aurigny added that it arranged coach travel to allow passengers to reach Manchester and said it had used a different plane for the return service to Guernsey.

The regional airline connects Guernsey in the Channel Islands with destinations across the UK and France.

Aurigny reported earlier this year that it made the decision to cancel some flights from mid-April to early June as a result of the Iran war.

It said that demand for flights fell by 13 per cent in May, causing the airline to reduce its services

The carrier had also introduced a “temporary fuel adjustment surcharge” of £2 per sector on all new bookings.

The Independent has contacted Aurigny for comment.

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