A lightning strike forced an EasyJet aircraft to make an emergency return to London Gatwick on Thursday afternoon.
The Milan-bound service, operating as Flight U28305, encountered the incident moments after leaving the airport.
The Airbus A319, G-EZDH, had departed from Gatwick’s runway at 2.22pm on May 14 when it flew into stormy conditions.
Passengers aboard the aircraft experienced the dramatic moment as lightning hit the plane during its ascent.
The crew immediately began assessing the situation while continuing to gain altitude, ultimately reaching approximately 16,000 feet before making the decision to turn back towards the Sussex airport.
Following standard protocols, the flight crew declared a priority status and requested permission to return to their departure point.
An EasyJet spokesman confirmed: “Flight EZY8305 from London Gatwick to Milan yesterday afternoon returned to London Gatwick shortly after take off following a lightning strike in line with procedures.”
An EasyJet flight was forced to land after a lightning strike at Gatwick Airport
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The airline confirmed that the aircraft touched down without incident.
“The aircraft is equipped to safely withstand lightning and at no point was the safety of the flight compromised,” the spokesman added.
Contemporary commercial jets are engineered to manage such occurrences, channelling electrical energy safely away from those on board.
The plane was landed in line with safety procedures
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Easyjet emphasised it adheres strictly to all manufacturer guidelines when operating its fleet.
A Gatwick spokesman said: “We can confirm the EZY8305 A319 requested an emergency landing at London Gatwick after a reported lightning strike shortly after departure yesterday (May 14). It returned to the airport where it landed safely.”
Once back at the terminal, travellers were offered refreshments while arrangements were made for their onwards journey.
EasyJet organised a different aircraft and crew to transport passengers to their Italian destination later that evening.
“The pilot performed a routine landing where we provided customers with refreshments in the terminal and arranged for a replacement crew and aircraft to continue the flight to Milan later that evening,” the spokesman confirmed.
The airline reiterated that customer and crew safety remains its foremost concern.