Medical supplies on board: Boeing turns back due to odor problem over the Atlantic

Medical supplies on board
Boeing turns around due to odor problem over Atlantic

May 9, 2024 at 6:20 pm

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Recently, problems with unpleasant odors on Lufthansa flights have increased. This time a trip to Chicago had to be canceled because of this. What is particularly annoying is the presence of medical transport materials on board.

A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 had to turn around during a flight from Frankfurt to Chicago today. According to the Bild report, passengers reported that an unknown unpleasant odor spread in the cabin. The pilots decided to return over the Atlantic Ocean 90 minutes after take-off, around 2 p.m. (local time), and return to Frankfurt. Passengers were informed via loudspeakers on board.

A Lufthansa spokesman told Bild newspaper that it was an unknown electrical smell. He added, “The Boeing 747-8 plane landed normally in Frankfurt, and all 320 passengers and 19 crew members left the plane naturally. The plane is currently being examined by technicians, and the cause of the smell is currently unclear.” Medical supplies are also said to be on board. However, the spokesperson did not explain exactly what the matter was. “Lufthansa was not the one organizing the transfer, so we cannot provide any information.”

The most common odor problems

Recent weeks have witnessed more odor incidents on Lufthansa flights. On April 19, an Airbus A319 en route from Frankfurt to London was forced to turn back due to odors emanating from the galley; In March, an Airbus A330 on a flight from Munich to Dubai made an unscheduled stop on the Greek island of Rhodes, also due to a foul smell coming from the galley; In the same month, an Airbus 321 en route from Frankfurt to Barcelona was forced to turn back due to an unusual oily smell that spread in the cockpit.

In addition to Lufthansa's odor problems, there have also been recurring technical problems with Boeing aircraft in recent days. Recently, a tire on a Boeing 737 exploded while landing after a flight from Germany to Türkiye. Also in Turkey, a Boeing 763 plane belonging to the FedEx Logistics Group, on Wednesday, landed on the fuselage of the plane at Istanbul Airport after problems with the front landing gear, as the airport announced.