The easyJet flight U28305 departed London Gatwick at 2.22pm on Thursday, May 14, before being struck by lightning en route to Milan – it was forced into an emergency landing
An easyJet aircraft was hit by lightning just moments after departing from London Gatwick. The carrier’s flight U28305 left the major London airport at 2.22pm on Thursday, May 14.
Travellers and cabin crew were on board an Airbus A319 registered G-EZDH, bound for Milan in Italy. However, shortly into the journey, the plane was struck by lightning. Following the airline’s standard procedures, the pilots opted to head back to Gatwick, where the aircraft touched down safely.
An easyJet spokesman confirmed the occurrence, stating the flight “returned to London Gatwick shortly after take off following a lightning strike in line with procedures.”
They continued: “The aircraft is equipped to safely withstand lightning and at no point was the safety of the flight compromised.
“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 safety of our customers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority and easyJet operates its fleet of aircraft in strict compliance with all manufacturers’ guidelines.”
A spokesman for Gatwick Airport stated: “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.
“While such an incident might seem frightening, contemporary aircraft are engineered to endure lightning strikes and effectively divert electrical currents away from passengers.”
According to the National Weather Service, aircraft are struck by lightning on average once or twice annually. It notes: “They are designed and built to have conducting paths through the plane to take the lightning strike and conduct the currents.
“Actually, aircraft often initiate the strike because their presence enhances the ambient electric fields typical for thunderstorms and facilitates electrical breakdown through air.”
Aircraft must undergo a compulsory inspection following a lightning strike to assess any potential damage. Numerous planes aren’t required to be built with lightning protection as standard. There hasn’t been a lightning-related commercial transport aeroplane crash in decades.
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