Police, fire and ambulance crews all went to the runway as the emergency developed. Three people on board the aircraft were treated at the scene, one suffering minor injuries, West Midlands Police said. Passengers faced hours of delays, even after the runway reopened, including many in Europe trying to fly back to Birmingham.

Birmingham airport has shut after a private aircraft made an emergency landing. All departures and arrivals have been stopped until 6pm after a twin-engined Beech King Air, which had been heading to Belfast, declared an in-flight emergency and diverted to Birmingham.