A PRIVATE JET owned by millionaire businessman and race horse owner JP McManus made an emergency landing at Shannon Airport yesterday evening.

There were five people on board the Gulfstream G650 jet including, it’s understood, McManus himself.

The crew declared an emergency over the Irish Sea and turned around before they were due to enter UK airspace.

The flight had only left Shannon a short time earlier.

The crew confirmed they had suffered an engine failure and declared a May-Day emergency.

On the ground at Shannon, emergency procedures were put in place.

Airport fire and rescue crews were deployed to designated holding points along Shannon’s main runway while units of the local authority fire service from Shannon Town and Ennis were mobilised to the airport along with ambulances and rapid response advanced paramedic unit.

The flight landed safely at Shannon at around 7pm and was pursued along the runway by emergency vehicles.

The jet was able to taxi under its own power to the Westair Aviation hangar accompanied by airport fire crews.

McManus was later seen exiting the Westair Aviation base and walking to his private helicopter which then flew him to his home near Kilmallock, Co Limerick.

The €55 million jet, acquired by McManus in 2014, is based at Shannon Airport.

The jet was the first G650 to be registered in Ireland and carries the registration EI-JSK, featuring the initials of McManus’s children John, Sue Ann, and Kieran.