A British Airways flight from London Gatwick bound for Egypt was forced into an emergency landing in Venice, Italy, after passengers and crew members suddenly fell violently ill mid-flight, triggering a full-scale HAZMAT response, The Standard reported.
The incident took place in December, though details have only now been reported.
The December 23rd flight, bound for Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, was met on the tarmac by firefighters in full hazmat suits with breathing apparatus and scanning devices.
Passengers described a scene of pure panic as emergency teams boarded the aircraft and began sweeping both crew and travelers for possible exposure to toxic fumes.
61-year-old passenger Melanie Wells, traveling with her 19-year-old daughter, recalled the terrifying ordeal in a statement to The Standard.
Melanie felt ill soon after the flight departed and thought the heat inside the cabin was to blame. But she says matters quickly worsened when other travelers and cabin crew also became ill.
“About an hour and a half in the air, crew members suddenly began running down the aisle backwards and forwards. I didn’t know what was going on,” she said.
Wells described the crew as being in “full panic mode” while passengers were left in the dark with no updates from the captain.
According to Wells, men in hazmat suits with breathing apparatus entered the plane.
“We were told nothing the whole time. Then, when we landed, the whole plane was surrounded by police, ambulances, and fire services. Men in hazmat suits came on board with testing devices. I was absolutely terrified.”
“And then men in hazmat suits with full breathing apparatus came on board with what I assume were [testing devices], running them over the stewards and stewardesses, then doing it to the passengers affected,” she continued.
“I was absolutely terrified – I was out of my mind with worry, I was really fearful. It was pandemonium. The staff were in pure panic mode. At no point did the captain give us any information.”
WATCH:
BREAKING: HAZMAT TEAM STORMS ONTO AIRPLANE
A London flight was forced to divert after passengers AND crew suddenly fell violently ill mid-air.
Hazmat teams in full suits rushed the plane on the runway in Italy.
What the hell happened up there? pic.twitter.com/O0z3iPX0QD
— HustleBitch (@HustleBitch_) August 29, 2025
The Standard reported:
After an eight-hour delay in Italy, the flight – which had departed on 23 December – was sent back to Gatwick before passengers finally reached Sharm El Sheikh the following morning.
Melanie said the ordeal left her and her daughter “utterly exhausted” and claimed it ruined the start of their holiday.
“I hadn’t been very well, so treated me and my daughter to an ultra-high-end all-inclusive in Sharm El Sheikh. I hadn’t been away for ages, it was definitely much-needed,” she said. “We were travelling for 40 hours. We were utterly exhausted. The experience was horrific. It was definitely a flight from hell. BA have performed in the most cavalier manner. The distress and trauma we went through – it was utterly traumatic. It ruined the start of our holiday.”
She says British Airways has offered £2,130 to cover the cancelled flight, meals and expenses, but is refusing to refund the £500 she lost on the first night of accommodation.
“I want the £500 for the missed accommodation too. It was a horrific experience,” she added.
British Airways, however, said the diversion was “a precaution” after a technical issue and insisted engineers found no evidence of toxic fumes.
A spokesperson told the news outlet: “The safety of our customers and colleagues is always our top priority and our aircraft diverted as a precaution because of a technical issue.
“We’ve apologised to our customers for their experience and have offered compensation accordingly.”
The post PANIC IN THE SKY: HAZMAT TEAMS STORM LONDON FLIGHT After Passengers and Crew Suddenly Fell Ill Mid-Air — Plane Forced to Emergency Landing in Italy appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.