A Wizz Air aircraft transporting media personnel from the recent Middle East peace conference was compelled to perform an unscheduled landing in Naples following reports of a blast from passengers onboard.
The Airbus A321neo experienced a dramatic altitude loss whilst en route from Sharm el-Sheikh to Rome on October 14.
Journalists and camera crews aboard flight W46118 reported hearing what they described as an explosion emanating from the aircraft's cargo compartment.
The incident prompted the flight crew to execute a rapid descent, plummeting from cruising height to a significantly lower altitude within minutes.
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The aircraft plummeted from 34,000 feet to 13,000 feet within a mere eight minutes, according to flight data.
Italian publication Corriere della Sera detailed witness accounts from those aboard, with some passengers claiming they observed smoke whilst others described hearing an explosive sound from beneath the passenger cabin.
Emergency services were mobilised at Naples International Airport in preparation for the aircraft's arrival.
The aircraft plummeted from 34,000 feet to 13,000 feet within a mere eight minutes, according to flight data
| PAFire crews positioned themselves on the tarmac as the plane touched down, ready to respond to any potential hazard following the reported incident during the flight from Egypt's Sinai peninsula.
Wizz Air issued a statement addressing the incident.
The statement said: "Wizz Air confirms that flight W4 6118, operating on October 14, was diverted to Naples due to an unexpected technical issue.
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The aircraft plummeted from 34,000 feet to 13,000 feet within a mere eight minutes, according to flight data
|GETTY
"The aircraft landed safely, and all passengers disembarked without injuries. Contrary to some media reports, there were no signs of smoke or fire on board."
The carrier emphasised that passenger wellbeing remains paramount, with maintenance personnel undertaking comprehensive examinations of the aircraft.
"The airline would like to thank its pilots and cabin crew for keeping everyone safe during the landing and for making the right decision to divert the aircraft to Naples," the statement continued.
Emergency services were mobilised at Naples International Airport in preparation for the aircraft's arrival.
|GETTY
The media personnel were returning from Egypt's Sinai peninsula, where they had covered the historic peace accord signed between Hamas and Israel the previous week.
The summit in Sharm el-Sheikh had drawn international press coverage of the landmark agreement.
The incident follows another aviation emergency just two days prior.
A new Ryanair Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 was evacuated in Krakow, Poland, on October 12 after crew members detected smoke odours in both the cockpit and passenger cabin.
The Bristol-bound aircraft, carrying 160 passengers, was abandoned on the taxiway with emergency slides deployed for evacuation.
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