Eurowings flight EW8470, carrying England fans home after their Euro 2024 defeat, was forced into an emergency landing on Monday morning due to an ‘undefined smell’ in the cabin. The Airbus A319, bound for Manchester, took off from Berlin at 8:09 am local time but made a U-turn just minutes later.
Eurowings Flight With 150 Passengers Makes Emergency Landing
Flight EW8470 made an unscheduled return to Berlin this morning due to an undefined odor in the cabin. The aircraft was subsequently inspected without any findings. As a result, the flight will be delayed and all passengers have already been informed by SMS.
— Eurowings (@eurowings) July 15, 2024
Passengers reported the smell hitting the cabin shortly after takeoff, prompting the captain to return to Berlin. The plane landed safely at 8:26 am and was met by fire crews on the tarmac.
While Eurowings attributed the incident to an “undefined smell” and denied any presence of fire or smoke, passengers painted a different picture. Gareth Davies, a passenger on the flight, told the Independent that the captain announced a warning light on the controls before returning to Berlin. He further claimed to have smelled burning and said passengers were instructed not to film the incident for fear of appearing on TikTok.
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Air Emergency Declared
Flight attendant in EW8470: please don’t take photos, we don’t want bad press on social media. Well will you kindly provide someone to speak to about what we do next??? RIDICULOUS
— Gareth Davies (@mrgarethrdavies) July 15, 2024
@mrgarethrdavies Could you please send us a private message explaining your request in more detail? Then we will be happy to take a closer look at your booking. ☺️ Kind regards, Linda
— Eurowings (@eurowings) July 15, 2024
No sorry Linda it’s fine we can do it here, in public so that everyone on the plane can see. Your plane EW8470 was on fire so you landed us back in Berlin, bunged us on a bus and sent us to the terminal and now there are 200 English people wandering about with no clue where to go
— Gareth Davies (@mrgarethrdavies) July 15, 2024
Eurowings maintained that safety was their top priority. They declared an “air emergency” to secure a prioritised landing and ensured a smooth disembarkation for all 150 passengers and crew. The aircraft was inspected by firefighters who allegedly found no signs of fire or smoke.
Despite the safe landing, passengers expressed frustration with the lack of communication from Eurowings. Social media was flooded with complaints, with some passengers alleging they were left stranded in Berlin without clear instructions on rebooking. One tweet sarcastically remarked, “So even the fans aren’t coming home then…” while another lamented the lack of information received beyond a warning not to film.
Eurowings responded by arranging alternative flights for all affected passengers. They also provided food vouchers at the Berlin airport (BER). However, the incident left a sour taste for many fans already disappointed by England’s loss.
The cause of the undefined smell remains unclear. While Eurowings insists there was no fire or smoke, further investigation may be required to ensure the safety of future passengers.
Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons, @mrgarethrdavies/X (Formerly, Twitter)