Brindisi airport drama: Ryanair flight engine catches fire

Passengers already aboard the plane for the flight from Brindisi to Turin experienced moments of terror as flames were noticed coming from one of the aircraft's engines.

The dangerous situation occurred on Thursday, 3 October, at Brindisi Airport. Following the incident, the airport in the Italian region of Apulia was closed for several hours.

A spokesperson for the Irish airline disclosed in a statement that they encountered unexpected complications. "Flight FR8826 from Brindisi to Turin was delayed this morning after cabin crew observed fumes on the outside of the aircraft," the statement reported.

When the cabin crew spotted flames emanating from the right engine, they quickly decided to open the doors. Inflatable emergency slides were deployed, allowing nearly 200 passengers to evacuate the plane swiftly.

Passengers who evacuated the plane were safely transported to the airport terminal, where they awaited a replacement aircraft. Once the new plane was ready, the tourists safely departed for Turin.

A team of firefighters promptly arrived at the scene. The rescuers arrived on time and handled the situation excellently at Brindisi Airport, reads an account published on platform X via the @FL360aero account. Photos of the flames, the extinguished plane, and a video of tourists using the inflatable slides to exit the aircraft were also shared there.

This incident is yet another involving the Irish airline at Italian airports. Two days earlier, four rear landing gear tyres of another Ryanair plane burst, damaging the runway at Bergamo Airport.