A Ryanair flight bound for London was forced to return to Brindisi airport in Puglia on Thursday morning, just 40 minutes after take-off.
Warning lights went off in the cabin, prompting the U-turn. However, no emergencies were reported, and the flight was rescheduled to depart in the early afternoon.
This incident is the fourth involving a Ryanair flight in Italy over the past 10 days.
Recently, a plane’s tyres burst upon landing at Bergamo’s Orio al Serio airport. Additionally, there were two other incidents at Brindisi airport.
Last week’s Ryanair issues
A spokesperson for Brindisi airport confirmed that a fire on Thursday halted air traffic for several hours. Ryanair, Europe’s largest budget airline, stated that all 184 passengers and crew were safely evacuated on the runway. The plane, which was bound for Turin, experienced the issue before take-off.
“Flight FR8826 from Brindisi to Turin (3rd Oct) was delayed this morning after cabin crew observed fumes on the outside of the aircraft. Passengers were disembarked without incident and returned to the terminal by bus,” Ryanair said in a statement.
This followed another incident on Tuesday when flight FR846, arriving at Milan Bergamo from Barcelona, experienced a tyre issue upon landing. The airport was briefly closed, but passengers disembarked normally. Engineers inspected and serviced the aircraft to return it to operation.
These incidents have sparked calls for an investigation into Ryanair’s safety record, with several Italian lawmakers urging action. Andrea Caroppo and Mauro D’Attis, deputies from the Forza Italia party, demanded a Senate hearing with the National Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC).
“This morning, at Brindisi airport, yet another accident occurred on a Ryanair plane,” said Caroppo, vice president of the Transport Commission, in a joint statement with D’Attis and two other Forza Italia members.
“We have asked for an urgent hearing with ENAC leaders to focus on Ryanair’s flight safety. It is worth remembering that Ryanair is Italy’s leading carrier in passenger traffic.”
Their statement also highlighted other recent incidents, including a May flight from Bari to London that had to turn back due to technical problems, and another in May from Bologna to Brussels, which made an emergency landing in Luxembourg after a fire onboard.
