- The Boeing 747 took off shortly after 6pm from Gatwick Airport for JFK
- Passengers reported smoke entered the cabin 30 minutes into the flight
- The captain started dumping fuel and returned safely to Gatwick within an hour
- Passengers said the problem was caused by a faulty oven on board the jet
A packed passenger jet was forced to return to Gatwick en-route to JFK in New York after smoke filled the cabin.
The Norwegian Air service from London to New York was less than 30 minutes into its journey when the aircraft turned back while passing south of Pembroke, Wales.
The aircraft was forced to dump fuel as it was far too heavy to land. Passengers were told they were returning to Gatwick with a technical issue where the jet landed safely around an hour after it departed.
Passengers were greeted by the sight of fire engines after their Boeing 747 was forced to turn around some 30 minutes after leaving Gatwick after smoke started filling the cabin
The Boeing 747 was forced to dump fuel before it could land back at Gatwick Airport
Several fire tenders followed the jet – which has been chartered from Wamos Air
Fire Engines waited for the aircraft on the tarmac as a precaution.
The passengers have remained on the Boeing 747 while engineers attempt to fix the fault.
One passenger said: ‘I paid £250 for my ticket, which is great value for money. The plane was late taking off from Gatwick, but everything seemed normal until we got to the Irish Sea.
‘There was hazy smoke in the cabin and we turned around. There wasn’t any panic, but it isn’t reassuring to see smoke while in a jet almost six miles up in the sky.
‘We’ve been on the tarmac at Gatwick for more than two hours. They said there was a faulty oven and that has been removed.
‘The cabin crew have given us water and we are waiting to go again. I don’t think anyone is nervous because the captain wouldn’t take off if he thought there was something wrong with the plane.’
MailOnline has approached Norwegian Air for a comment.
The aircraft made it was far as South Wales before it was forced to return to Gatwick Airport
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