Passengers have spoken of their shock after a fire broke out on tarmac at Bristol Airport as they were about to board a plane.
Large plumes of smoke could be seen coming from the ground near an empty Ryanair plane, which was bound for Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands.
The fire was caused by a ground power unit (GPU), used to charge planes before they take off. A Bristol Airport spokesman said: “This was quickly extinguished by our fire team and there were no injuries.”
Passenger Colin Smith said: “They were loading us onto the bus outside, then all of a sudden there’s smoke billowing out of the front of the plane.
“The bus stopped, and two fire engines rushed over to it.”
He added the incident was a “bit worrying”, especially for people already nervous about travelling on planes.
No other flights have been impacted by the early-morning incident.
