October 09, (THEWILL) — A British Airways flight from Istanbul to London declared a mid-air emergency on Thursday after smoke was detected in the cabin, forcing the aircraft to make an unscheduled landing in Romania.
The Airbus A320, operating as flight BA603 and carrying 142 passengers, was diverted to Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport after four passengers reportedly suffered smoke inhalation and required urgent medical attention.
British Airways, in a brief statement on its website, confirmed the incident, saying: “We’re very sorry, this flight scheduled from Istanbul to London has been diverted to Bucharest.”
According to aviation authorities, the pilot requested an emergency landing at about 5:50 p.m. local time, and the aircraft safely touched down at 6:14 p.m. Emergency medical teams immediately boarded the plane to assist the affected passengers.
All travellers were safely evacuated as emergency response crews worked to assess the situation.
Romania’s Ministry of Health later confirmed that “the presence of smoke was detected immediately after the plane landed,” adding that “four people are in poor health, possibly due to smoke intoxication, and are receiving medical assistance on site.”
Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the smoke, which remains unknown as of press time. Aviation safety regulators are also expected to review the incident to ensure adherence to standard safety procedures.
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