By Patrick Flynn

Latest update: 3pm

A replacement aircraft has taken the 266 passengers onto New York.

The rescheduled flight EI-105 was due to depart at 1.30pm but was further delayed. The flight departed Dublin for New York at 3.07pm.

Latest update: 12.30pm

An Aer Lingus flight has returned to Dublin Airport after the crew reported an issue with the jet’s landing gear just moments after take-off.

Flight EI-105 had just departed for New York’s JFK International Airport and had been in contact with air traffic controllers at Dublin.

The pilot told controllers: “Our landing gear has failed to retract so we would like to enter the hold and troubleshoot.”

The Airbus A330-300 stopped it’s climb at 5,000 feet and turned around before heading east over the Irish Sea where the crew entered a holding pattern off the Wicklow coast.

The crew told controllers that they wished to hold there for a short time but said they would ‘probably’ return to Dublin for a normal landing.

The crew did not declare an emergency and confirmed they would not require emergency services on standby.

The flight landed without incident shortly after 11.30am about 30 minutes after departure.

Engineers are currently investigating the technical issue.