A TUI plane en route to Egypt was struck by lightning on Sunday afternoon. The plane was able to fly back to Zaventem Airport safely. No one was injured in the incident, TUI's Piet Demeyere says.
The passengers of a Boeing 787-8 operated by tour operators TUI had probably imagined a very different end to their flight from Brussels Airport to the Egyptian resort of Hurghada.
The plane was forced to return to Brussels Airport after being struck by lightning in mid-flight. Passengers saw a flash of light, heard a loud bang and then noticed a slight smell of fire.
‘It was still possible to fly, but the safety procedure is then to check the plane first,’ TUI's Piet Demeyere explained. As a precautionary measure, the plane was flown back to Brussels.
The flight was delayed until Monday. The tour operator offered passengers a night in a nearby hotel, ‘so they could at least spend the evening comfortably’.