A man has been arrested after passengers were forced to get off an easyJet plane at Manchester Airport. 

Shocked holidaymakers en route to Milan on Friday, October 4, said police boarded the aircraft after it had already begun moving along the tarmac. 

The suspect is alleged to have hidden himself “for the purpose of being carried in an aircraft” after boarding without the right documentation, Manchester Evening News reported. 

The flight, which was heading to Milan Malpensa from Terminal 1, was heavily delayed as a result. The gate departure time was initially listed as 6.23pm but the flight didn’t take until 11.10pm. 

The Airbus jet eventually landed in Milan just before 2am on Saturday. That was more than four-and-a-half hours after its scheduled arrival time. 

The alarm was raised once the plane had already begun moving on the runway, according to holidaymakers. One passenger said the flight was searched by police, with everyone having to undergo re-screening as a result.

Nothing suspicious was found on board and the incident is not being treated as terror-related.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “At around 7pm last night we were called to Manchester Airport to reports of a man who had embarked on a flight without the correct documentation.

“On arrival back to the terminal, officers arrested a man in his 20s on suspicion of secreting himself for the purpose of being carried in an aircraft without consent and intentionally or recklessly causing public nuisance.

“He remains in police custody for questioning and enquiries are ongoing.” 

The express has contacted easyJet for more information. Writing on its website, the airline apologised for the delay and referenced a “passenger incident”. 

A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said all its security processes were followed. They added the matter was being dealt with by the police.