Larnaca flight makes unscheduled landing after ‘smoke in cockpit’

By Bejay Browne

A WIZZ Air flight which took off from Larnaca airport on Thursday night had to make an unscheduled landing in Thessaloniki around an hour and a half into the journey, according to reports.

A passenger  told the Cyprus Mail that, not long into the flight, the pilot smelt smoke in the cockpit and had to land in Thessaloniki.

Speaking from Thessaloniki, she said: “I was on a flight from Larnaca to Budapest operated by Wizz Air, flight number W6 2452. We departed at 21:50 and were supposed to be in Budapest at midnight, but we landed in Thessaloniki. We were told this was because of a smell of smoke in the cockpit, there was some problem with electric equipment. This was after 11pm, I had been sleeping. It happened very fast, but at least everyone is alright. We don’t know anything more.”

The female passenger had been visiting her sister who lives in Cyprus. She told the Cyprus Mail that she received a call just after midnight to inform her of the incident and that she was safe.

“My sister said that the plane was full, with many families and children on board.”

Stranded passengers spent the night at a five star hotel and were awaiting news of when they would be able to continue their journey to Hungary.

“We were told that would be at 13.35 on Friday, but they have cancelled. They have to repair the plane or send another one,” she said.

Wizz Air confirmed that flight  W6 2452 from Larnaca to Budapest on July 9 was diverted to Thessaloniki for technical inspection after an Airbus A320 aircraft needed to undergo unscheduled maintenance due to a technical fault.

A statement from the airline on Friday said: “Passengers were provided with meals and hotel accommodation and the flight is scheduled to depart today at 17.00 hrs local time.”

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.