Strange British rules? A Wizz Air plane took off with a broken window!
A Wizz Air flight departed London with a broken window, and it appears that British air traffic control and regulatory authorities either had no objection to this or may not even have been aware. Meanwhile, panic broke out on board, leaving passengers terrified for the entire journey. The airline has not responded to press enquiries.
Panic erupted onboard
A shocking incident aboard a Wizz Air flight bound for Bacău, Romania, was reported by the Hungarian-language outlet Új Magyar Szó. According to their report, the aircraft had already been delayed for several hours in London, with passengers initially prevented from boarding. Once boarding began, one passenger noticed that one of the aircraft’s windows was damaged and alerted the crew.
After a further 30-minute wait with no action taken, an airport security officer arrived. This suggests that British authorities may indeed have been made aware of the issue. The officer’s only solution, however, was to cover the broken window with tape—reportedly the everyday kind available in convenience stores—in an attempt to prevent wind from rushing in while flying at 36,000–41,000 feet and speeds of 514–541 mph.
The carrier remains silent
The improvised fix did, in fact, hold: the plane landed safely in Bacău. However, passengers spent the entire three-hour flight in a state of panic, fearing the window might give way due to pressure differences and high velocity. According to Maszol, passengers’ concerns were ignored. They were not offered the option to transfer to another aircraft, and the crew reportedly paid little attention to those who were visibly distressed.
Online reports from the Hungarian-language newspaper described passengers remaining on edge throughout the journey, but fortune was on their side—they landed safely and no one was injured.
Romanian news outlet Digi24 contacted Wizz Air for comment on the incident but received no reply.
Shifting focus to Eastern Europe?
Earlier this summer, the airline announced plans to refocus its operations on Eastern Europe, citing ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and the difficulties of expanding in that region. Wizz Air has also been dealing with a large number of grounded aircraft due to mandatory engine inspections, though its public statements have disclosed only basic details without offering specifics.
Ryanair’s CEO has claimed that Wizz Air is facing serious challenges. Nevertheless, reports indicate that the airline is not abandoning expansion in the Middle East altogether. The low-cost carrier intends to establish a new base at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport. However, local airline El Al has opposed the move, arguing that it poses a national security risk—especially in the event of war. El Al contends that the Hungarian budget airline could withdraw operations and leave passengers stranded during a crisis.
Read more from us:
- Israeli airline calls Wizz Air a national security threat, seeks to block new base
- Explanation: Death screams on Wizz Air flight – but what really happened during the storm in Rome?
Click here to explore our Wizz Air archive.
To read or share this article in Hungarian, click here: Helló Magyar
The story is not complete enough to make an opinion. Aircraft widows are made of two or three separate panels. Only the outside panel is critical for the safety of the aircraft. There is an aviation-approved special tape specifically make to temporarily fix things like windows, accidental scratches and small holes in the fuselage called speed tape that resists airflow. Som critical cracks and holes cannot be fixed with speed tape however.
If the inside panel of the window was cracked or broken, there is no safety impact. Any pilot would not take off knowing the risk of a rapid decompression in flight if there was a chance. Article is written to sensationalize.
I agree. Also insinuating that UK civil aviation regulations are in some way unusual or slacker than comparable countries which is nonsense. It’s one of the most safety conscious countries on the planet, sometimes to the point of excessiveness and never more so than to do with flight safety.