Passengers were left screaming in fear after severe turbulence rocked a Wizz Air flight from Spain before it was forced to make an emergency landing.
Terrified passengers could be heard loudly screeching as the airplane grappled with heavy turbulence while trying to make its way from Alicante to Fiumicino Airport in Rome.
Travellers ‘thanked God we’re alive’ after the Airbus A321 was forced to make an emergency landing in Bologna early on Thursday morning.
Shocking footage shows the plane shaking intensely while the lights remain mostly off and a red light flashes outside the window.
A video of the turbulence, posted on TikTok, is captioned ‘Attimi di terrore sul volo’, meaning ‘Moments of terror on the flight’.
Italy has been suffering with extreme weather this summer and Rome is currently under a severe thunderstorm warning.
Bad weather conditions in the region caused problems for the Wizz Air jet when trying to land.
After several attempts to land at Fiumicino, the country’s busiest airport, the flight abandoned its scheduled route and landed in Bologna, over 250 miles away.
Passengers were left screaming in fear after severe turbulence rocked a Wizz Air flight from Spain before it was forced to make an emergency landing
Terrified passengers could be heard loudly screeching as the airplane grappled with heavy turbulence while trying to make its way from Alicante to Fiumicino Airport in Rome
Shocking footage, posted on TikTok, is captioned Attimi di terrore sul volo’, meaning ‘Moments of terror on the flight’
The plane’s departure had already been delayed by one hour and 17 minutes and it landed in Bologna at 3:53am, two hours and 48 minutes after it was supposed to arrive in Rome.
The Alicante to Rome route typically takes just under two hours.
Wizz Air said: ‘Wizz Air flight W4 6038 from Alicante to Rome Fiumicino on August 20 was diverted to Bologna Airport after it was unable to land safely due to adverse weather conditions at Rome Fiumicino Airport.
‘The aircraft landed safely and without incident in Bologna at 3:57 a.m. local time. Passengers were provided with ground transportation from Bologna to Rome.’
They later added that passengers had been informed that, ‘if they had independently arranged ground transportation, they would be entitled to a refund in accordance with European regulations.
‘Weather conditions are beyond the airline’s control, and safety remains Wizz Air’s top priority.’
The airline added that this ‘is a standard procedure in the event that conditions are not ideal for a safe landing’ and thanked the pilots and cabin crew for ‘ensuring everyone’s safety during the turbulence and for making the right decision to divert the flight to Bologna.’
Wizz Air, a Hungarian ultra low-cost airline, is popular in the UK and has bases at Gatwick and Luton airports.
The plane’s departure had already been delayed by one hour and 17 minutes and it landed in Bologna at 3:53am, two hours and 48 minutes after it was supposed to arrive in Rome
Travellers were left ‘thanking God we’re alive’ after the Airbus A321 was forced to make an emergency landing in Bologna early on Thursday morning
Two months ago nine passengers were injured after heavy turbulence hit a Ryanair flight from Berlin to Milan
The incident comes two months after nine people were injured when severe turbulence hit a Ryanair flight.
Passengers and crew were left in tears as the plane from Berlin to Milan was forced to make an emergency landing.
The flight encountered thunderstorms over southern Germany, with reports that people were thrown from their seats into the cabin ceiling as the plane was buffeted.
Passengers were reportedly kept on the plane for several hours leaving the shaken travellers ‘irritable’ and ‘agitated’.
Emergency services met passengers off the plane after the flight’s captain requested medical assistance ahead of landing.
