A DREAMLINER jet carrying 284 passengers was forced to make an emergency landing at Glasgow Airport after a computer glitch left the crew fearing there was a fire on board.
The aircraft, operated by Polish airline LOT, was en route from Chicago to Warsaw when the captain declared an emergency after a fire protection alert went off in the baggage hold.
Air traffic control diverted the plane and it landed safely around 11.35am yesterday. Emergency services were dispatched as a precaution but firefighters could find "no visible signs of smoke whatsoever".
It is the latest problem to involve a Boeing 787, a type of jetliner grounded in the past over safety concerns
Engineers were sent in to examine the plane.
The airline arranged for alternative transport so passengers could complete their journey to Poland.
LOT, which uses the Dreamliner on intercontinental routes, said the plane's fire detector had alerted the crew to a possible problem in the aircraft's luggage compartment, but it appeared to have been a false alarm.
A spokeswoman said: "Crew had received information generated by the aircraft fire protection system located in the hatch. Due to the safety procedure pilots decided to land at the nearest airport - in Glasgow.
"Airport flight control granted permission and the aircraft landed safely. Passengers were informed about the situation.
"After taxi-ing the plane had been checked by the airport fire service. They did not identify any smoke or fire."
The incident did not cause any disruption for other travellers arriving and departing the airport.
An airport spokesman said: "The aircraft landed safely and was met on arrival by emergency services as a precautionary measure. The aircraft was assessed and deemed safe. The passengers disembarked and a further assessment of the aircraft was being carried out."
The Dreamliner has been affected by difficulties since it entered commercial service in 2011.
The entire global fleet was grounded for three months at the start of 2013 amid fears over its lithium-ion batteries, which had overheated on two Dreamliners in less than two weeks.
Boeing redesigned the battery system, although the precise cause of the problem was never conclusively found.
However, difficulties resurfaced again in June and July last year when a series of Dreamliners suffered problems, including a fire on an empty Ethiopian Airlines jet parked at Heathrow and a "minor technical issue" shortly after departure on a Thomson Airways flight from Manchester to Florida.
In January, Japan Airlines grounded one of its Dreamliners after routine maintenance detected smoke or gases that were suspected of coming from faults within the main battery.
A Boeing spokesman said: "We are aware of the LOT diversion of a 787 into Glasgow. We are working with our customer to assess the situation."
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