Ryanair Boeing plane catches fire on runway in Italy; 184 people on board evacuated

Rome
CNN
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More than 180 people were evacuated from a Ryanair Boeing jetliner on Thursday after it caught fire while taxiing for takeoff at Brindisi airport in southern Italy.

The incident comes two days after a burst tire on another of the airline’s Boeing planes during landing led to the temporary closure of Milan Bergamo airport.

A Brindisi airport spokesperson confirmed that there had been a fire which had disrupted air traffic for several hours.

Ryanair, the Irish budget airline group that operates Europe’s largest fleet of planes, said all 184 passengers and crew were safely evacuated to the runway after Thursday’s incident . The plane was bound for Turin, a city in northern Italy.

“Flight FR8826 from Brindisi to Turin (October 3) was delayed this morning after cabin crew observed smoke outside the aircraft. Passengers were deplaned without incident and returned to the terminal by bus,” the airline said in a statement to CNN.

He said the plane was then replaced and the passengers were flown to their destination. The airport reopened about three hours later, according to the airport website.

On Tuesday, another Ryanair plane – flight FR846 – bound for Milan Bergamo Airport from Barcelona had a tire problem upon landing, which briefly closed the destination airport.

“Passengers disembarked normally and the aircraft was inspected by engineers who are currently servicing the aircraft so that it can return to service,” Ryanair said in a statement to CNN.

This week’s events have prompted several Italian lawmakers to call for an investigation into Ryanair’s safety record, citing a number of previous incidents.

Andrea Caroppo and Mauro D’Attis, deputies in the lower house of the Italian Parliament and members of the Forza Italia party, a member of Italy’s ruling coalition, have requested a Senate hearing with the country’s National Civil Aviation Authority , ENAC.

“This morning, at Brindisi airport, a new accident occurred, yet another, on board a Ryanair plane,” said Caroppo (vice president of the Transport Committee of the lower house of the Italian Parliament), D’Attis and two other party members in a statement.

“We have therefore requested an urgent hearing to the Transport Commission of the House of Directors of ENAC, with emphasis on the safety of flights of Ryanair, which – it should be remembered – is the leading carrier in Italy for passenger traffic”, we can read in the press release. said.

The statement listed other incidents, including one in May when a flight from the Italian port of Bari to London had to turn around due to technical problems, and another flight in May from the northern city from Bologna to Brussels which had to carry out an emergency. landing in Luxembourg due to a fire on board.

“And these are just some of the many, too many accidents that have involved Ryanair in recent months, in Italy and in Europe,” the press release added.

Ryanair did not respond to a CNN request for comment on the lawmakers’ statement. Boeing, the manufacturer of the two planes involved in this week’s incidents, referred CNN to Ryanair.

An ENAC spokesperson said it was investigating the two incidents separately this week.