For the second time this month a Flybe plane has been forced to make an emergency landing at a Belfast airport.

Flight BE996 from Southhampton touched down safely at Belfast City airport night. Emergency procedures were put in place after a request from the Flybe pilot on the inbound flight.

“All 69 passengers and four crew members disembarked safely and are now in the airport being taken care of airport staff,” a spokesperson for the airport said.

A Northern Ireland Fire Service spokesperson said 10 fire engines were in attendance.

Flybe said later that the flight from Southampton was approaching the airport when the crew was alerted by a smoke indication from the baggage. But there was no sign of smoke in the aircraft after the landing, the airline added, but said that the incident would be “fully investigated”.

On 16 December, a Flybe plane from Glasgow to Belfast City airport had to be diverted to Belfast International airport after one of its engines caught fire.

All 76 passengers and four crew were evacuated safely – some said the engine resembled a lit Catherine wheel during the short flight from Scotland.

An air accident investigation team has begun an inquiry into how one of the turbo-prop plane’s engines burst into flames mid-air.