A Portuguese airliner had to make an emergency landing at Bermuda?s airport in the early hours of Saturday morning, after a mechanical failure caused a dangerous drop in oil pressure.

The Boeing 767 aircraft, which is operated by the Portuguese airline Aviajet, was en route from Mexico City to Lisbon when its right engine suffered a mechanical malfunction, airport general manager James Howes said yesterday.

Running on only one engine and still a great distance from Lisbon, the pilot radioed Bermuda air-traffic control at approximately 1 a.m. requesting an emergency landing. The Fire Service were alerted and seven emergency vehicles were dispatched to the airport.

The airline landed successfully at 1:56 a.m., with no difficulties reported, and the Fire Service declared the situation under control at 2.02 a.m.

Mr. Howes said the flight was a ?ferry flight? with no passengers on board ? only three crew members.

The plane was still at the airport yesterday awaiting repairs.

The damage was too substantial to be repaired over the weekend and parts had to be flown in from overseas, was told.

As of yesterday afternoon, Mr. Howes said he was not sure when the repairs would be completed or when the plane would be leaving the Island.