The Kazakhstani Air Astana Embraer E190 had taken off a short while earlier from a technical inspection centre in Alverca near Lisbon where it has been undergoing maintenance.

It was en-route to Minsk in Belarus and carrying a crew of six on board.

The plane lost its instruments while in Lisbon’s congested airspace, declared an emergency, and diverted to Beja where it made a safe landing around an hour later.

It was escorted by two F-16 fighter jets.