Plane makes emergency landing in Paphos

Stranded passengers at Paphos airport are scheduled to get back on their Belgrade-Cairo flight on Wednesday, a day after the Serbian aircraft made an emergency landing due to a possible fire on board.

On Tuesday evening, the pilot of a Serbian flight en route to Cairo with 163 passengers on board received a heat warning indication of a possible fire in the luggage compartment, while flying inside FIR Nicosia.

The pilot made an emergency landing at Paphos International Airport, touching down around 9pm and passengers disembarking the plane in safety according to local reports.

The plane was inspected by technicians while passengers remained in the terminal overnight, with a second inspection scheduled to take place in the morning.

It was not clear whether the warning sign alerted the pilots to a real threat or whether it could be false alarm.

Undetected or uncontrolled fires in luggage compartments have caused accidents and loss of life in the past, with US Federal Aviation Administration and other bodies introducing a number of directives to address the issue.