On Saturday afternoon, Easyjet flight U2 8297 en route from London-Gatwick to Innsbruck had to make a safety landing at Friedrichshafen Airport. There was smoke on board and the captain decided to use Lake Constance Airport as a precaution due to snowfall at Tyrolean Airport.

According to a police statement, there were just over 320 people on board the Airbus A150neo, registration G-UZHR. Switching to Friedrichshafen had already been decided before the problem arose. At that time there was heavy snowfall in Innsbruck and the captain decided to land at Lake Constance Airport instead.

During the approach to the German airport, about a quarter of an hour before landing, a strong smell of smoke was noticed. According to official information, the safety-relevant smell was noticed in the cockpit. This should also be visually recognizable. Therefore, an emergency of the highest level was declared.

As a result, the large-scale operation was triggered at Friedrichshafen Airport as a precaution. The fire brigade was ready and thoroughly examined the Airbus A320neo after landing, but the cause could not be found. According to the police, around 300 emergency workers were made ready for action within a few minutes. Luckily, all crew members and passengers were able to leave the G-UZHR safely and uninjured.

Easyjet confirmed the incident. The affected aircraft will be thoroughly examined by technical specialists. The affected passengers were taken to their actual destination, Innsbruck, by coach. The return flight U2 8298 was cancelled. The passengers have been accommodated in various hotels or, if possible, rebooked on other connections.

Other airlines switched to Munich and Linz

The British budget airline was not the only carrier that decided not to land in Innsbruck on Saturday afternoon. Titan Airways made a few loops over Rattenberg with the G-POWH and then turned to make an alternate landing in Munich. The captains of the British Airways machines G-EUUI and G-TTOB made the same decision.

In contrast, Tuifly landed in Innsbruck with aircraft G-TAWS, G-TAWH and G-TUKM without prior loops. However, two other Tuifly jets switched to Linz in Upper Austria. The crew then flew the G-TAWC from Linz to Innsbruck. G-TAWA, on the other hand, flew back from Linz to Dublin.