An easyJet flight was forced to declare a mid-air emergency en route to Glasgow from London Gatwick.

Flight EZY861 requested priority landing as it came into land, issuing a squawk 7700 code.

The emergency alert was due to a passenger needing medical assistance and was sent out by the airline just five minutes before coming into land.

The emergency code is reserved for emergencies and notifies Air Traffic Control that the aircraft is in distress.

The Airbus A319 was met by paramedics upon arrival at the Scottish airport.

EasyJet has since confirmed the emergency was due to a passenger needing urgent medical attention.

A spokesperson for easyJet told The Herald: “Flight EZY861 from London Gatwick to Glasgow requested priority landing into Glasgow due to a customer requiring urgent medical assistance onboard. The flight was met by paramedics upon arrival.

“The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is always easyJet's highest priority.”