Ryanair passengers evacuated from flight after 'smoke fills cabin'

The Boeing jet, which joined Ryanair's fleet merely 12 days earlier on September 30, was forced to halt its departure preparations when crew members detected smoke whilst the aircraft was taxiing towards the runway.

The discovery prompted immediate safety protocols, with the captain ordering an evacuation using the aircraft's emergency slides.

All passengers were safely removed from the aircraft without any reported injuries, according to airport officials.

The pilot immediately halted taxi operations upon crew reports of smoke presence.

Following established emergency procedures, the captain instructed cabin crew to deploy the aircraft's evacuation slides.

A Krakow airport spokesman confirmed to Bild: "The causes of the incident are currently unknown.

"The passengers have been returned to the terminal, and the aircraft is currently being inspected by the authorities."

Ryanair also addressed the incident in an official statement.

"Ryanair Flight FR5519 from Krakow to Bristol was delayed this morning (October 12) due to the appearance of smoke from the rear galley," the budget airline said.

"In the interest of safety, passengers were disembarked on the taxiway and returned to the terminal."

The airline arranged alternative transport for affected passengers, though this resulted in significant disruption.

"A replacement aircraft was routed to Krakow to take passengers onto Bristol with a delay of approx. 6 hours, for which we apologise sincerely," the carrier stated.

The incident follows recent scrutiny of Ryanair operations after a Malta Air flight operating on the airline's behalf nearly exhausted its fuel reserves on October 3.

That Boeing 737-800, travelling from Pisa to Glasgow Prestwick, declared a fuel emergency and diverted to Manchester following multiple failed landing attempts.

The flight touched down with approximately 220 kilograms of fuel remaining, equivalent to roughly six minutes of flight time.

Aviation regulations mandate that such aircraft maintain fuel reserves sufficient for at least 30 minutes of operation.

The affected Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 remains grounded at Krakow Airport whilst technicians conduct thorough examinations.

Authorities continue investigating the incident, with the smoke's origin yet to be determined.

The aircraft had entered service with the budget carrier less than a fortnight before the evacuation incident.

Technical teams are working to establish what caused smoke to appear in both the cockpit and passenger areas during pre-flight preparations.

The investigation comes amid heightened attention on Boeing aircraft safety. The manufacturer recently reached a settlement with US authorities, agreeing to pay $444.5million in victim compensation beyond an earlier $500million payment.

This followed criminal proceedings related to two fatal crashes involving Boeing aircraft, though prosecutors ultimately opted for a non-prosecution agreement rather than pursuing trial proceedings.