Wizz Air flight turns back from Zakynthos to Budapest due to storm: what exactly happened?
Wizz Air passengers found themselves in an unusual situation on Sunday afternoon: after more than three and a half hours of flying, their Budapest–Zakynthos service was unable to land on the Greek island and had to return to the Hungarian capital. The ordeal of flight 2455 was first reported by the professional aviation Facebook page Tudásmorzsák a repülésről, which defended the airline’s decision and answered some of the most frequently asked questions.
What happened in the air?
According to Wizz Air’s statement, the forced return was caused by adverse weather conditions at the destination: heavy cloud cover, strong winds, and poor visibility made landing impossible. While other airlines also attempted approaches in the region, many aircraft—like the Hungarian low-cost carrier’s flight—either returned to their starting point or diverted to alternate airports.
Passengers were kept informed by Wizz Air throughout the process. After landing back in Budapest, the airline provided ground transfers, four-star hotel accommodation including dinner and breakfast, and confirmed that the flight would depart again to Zakynthos on Monday at 12:30 PM local time.
Not incompetence, but a safety call
At first glance, some might assume that Wizz Air underestimated the weather forecast. However, Tudásmorzsák a repülésről highlighted that such situations are never black-and-white. Conditions on Zakynthos were borderline—meaning right between just safe enough and no longer suitable for landing. It was worth attempting, since there was a chance that the cloud cover could have cleared for the few minutes necessary to complete a safe landing.
Some planes circling in the area managed to land thanks to a stroke of luck, while most either returned to base or diverted elsewhere. Yet diversion is not always a practical solution—nearby airports faced equally bad weather, and landing farther away could have meant passengers travelling hundreds of kilometres in the middle of the night by ferry or taxi to reach their final destination.
How was there enough fuel for the return trip?
Some passengers were puzzled as to how the aircraft had the reserves for a full round trip. The explanation lies in the pre-flight procedure: the aircraft waited more than two hours at Budapest Airport while the weather was monitored. During this time, the airline decided to refuel the plane with enough to allow for a potential return journey. In hindsight, this turned out to be a wise move.
Why is Budapest different from Zakynthos?
Another frequently raised question was why Budapest Airport manages landings in worse weather conditions, while Zakynthos could not. The answer lies in infrastructure. Budapest’s Liszt Ferenc International Airport is equipped with a modern ILS (Instrument Landing System), which enables planes to land safely even with minimal visibility. Smaller Greek island airports lack such equipment, meaning they require stricter visibility and cloud ceiling limits in order to operate landings.
Why was returning the best option?
Beyond safety, efficiency and operational continuity also played a role. If the aircraft had landed at a diversion airport, the crew might have run out of working hours, and the aircraft would not have been available for its next scheduled service. This could have caused further cancellations and affected thousands of passengers.
The decision to return was therefore a compromise. While it brought inconvenience to the passengers onboard, it helped avoid significantly greater disruption in the long run.