Passengers reported a loud bang and smell of burning after a Wizz Air plane bound for Košice was hit mid-flight.
Passengers on a domestic flight across Slovakia were forced to return to Bratislava after their aircraft was struck by lightning while approaching Košice.
Travellers on the Friday afternoon Wizz Air service described hearing a loud bang before noticing what some said was a smell of burning spreading through the front of the cabin. Despite the unexpected diversion, passengers said the atmosphere remained calm.
The aircraft had been nearing eastern Slovakia when pilots decided to abandon the approach and turn back. Some passengers initially believed the change of course was weather-related, before learning after landing that the plane had been hit by lightning.
Among those on board was former foreign minister Miroslav Wlachovský, who later said there had been uncertainty but no panic. Activist Marek Mach, also travelling on the flight, praised the professionalism of the cabin crew. Both travelled to the anti-corruption festival Pucung, which was held in Košice during the weekend, where they attended as guests.
