Easyjet plane declares emergency on flight to Lisbon

An Easyjet flight from London Gatwick to Lisbon declared an emergency, diverting course and descending rapidly as it flew over the Bay of Biscay.

Easyjet flight U28717 sent an emergency signal, according to the Flightaware tracking system and Airlive.com.

The plane began to descend as it approached the northern Spanish coast, diverting east towards Oviedo in the province of Asturias.

Flight 8717 later landed safely at Asturias but the reason for the emergency was not yet known - with flight experts suggesting a medical emergency for a passenger was most likely.