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Aer Lingus passengers told flight was going to make emergency landing in sea

Passengers on an Aer Lingus flight from Zurich to Dublin on Saturday were told the aircraft was going to make an emergency landing into the sea. However about two minutes later the passengers were told to ignore the announcement, which was made when the flight was over the sea. The flight landed without further incident on schedule at Dublin Airport, soon after midday. “I was sitting down near the back with my son, who had headphones on,” said Dubliner Fearghal O’Lideacha, who lives in Zurich and was on the flight. As best he could remember, the pre-recorded message said: “Ladies and gentlemen, this is an emergency. Please prepare for a ditched landing.” O’Lideacha said he has an interest in aviation and knew that a ditched landing meant going into the water. He said there was very little reaction to the announcement, possibly because so many people had headphones on. He did make eye contact with one woman who was sitting nearby and minding children. “I could see the distress on her face,” he said. The flight attendants were behind the curtains at each end of the aircraft, and no-one came rushing out to tell passengers what to do, which he took as a good sign. A male passenger up the front of the aircraft went up to the curtain and spoke to the cabin crew, and when he turned around his body language indicated he was not panicking, O’Lideacha said. “Then one of the flight crew made an announcement that we should ignore the earlier announcement. That was a big relief. I’d say it was about two minutes later.” A spokeswoman for the airline said that during Aer Lingus flight EI343 from Zurich to Dublin an incorrect pre-recorded announcement was momentarily played on board.<br/>

Israel starts direct flights to Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh

The first commercial flight for Israel's El Al carrier landed in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh from Tel Aviv, the Israeli airline said Sunday, Anadolu reports. El Al added in a statement that its subsidiary Sundor Airlines held a festive ceremony before the plane kicked off to Sharm el-Sheikh. According to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (KAN), two other Israeli carriers — Arkia and Israir — will operate flight routes with Sharm el-Sheikh late on Sunday in addition to Egyptian airlines which will run flights on the same route. In March, Israel said it agreed with Egypt to launch a direct flight route between Tel Aviv and Sharm el-Sheikh.<br/>