- A Swiss flight attendant was hospitalized after a plane’s cabin filled with smoke in the middle of the flight.
- The December 23 flight from Bucharest to Zurich was diverted due to engine problems and smoke.
- The crew member, who has not been identified, died approximately a week after being hospitalized.
A young Swiss International Air Lines flight attendant died a week after being exposed to smoke that filled the cabin and cockpit during a flight where he was working.
The December 23 flight from Bucharest, Romania, to Zurich was diverted to Graz, southern Austria, due to engine problems that spread smoke throughout the plane, according to an airline press release.
The crew member, who has not been named publicly, was airlifted to a hospital in Graz and is in intensive care. He died Monday.
“We are devastated by our dear colleague’s death,” said Jens Fehlinger, CEO of Swiss International Air Lines, in a statement.
“We stand with one another during this truly difficult time, and we will do everything we can, in collaboration with the appropriate authorities, to determine the causes,” said Oliver Buchhofer, the airline’s chief operating officer.
“We have many questions, and we want them answered,” he stated.
All 74 passengers aboard the Airbus A220 were evacuated. Twelve passengers and five crew members received medical attention.
“Our teams of experts are working hard over the festive season to evaluate all the facts and findings available, and we are in close contact with the authorities,” the airline said about the incident investigation.
The investigation focuses on the aircraft’s mechanical components, such as the engine, as well as the cabin crew’s protective breathing equipment.
Swiss announced that it was collaborating with the relevant authorities, engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, and aircraft manufacturer Airbus.
“The initial findings point to a technical problem in one of the engines,” the press release stated, but the cause of the smoke has yet to be determined conclusively.
A special flight from Graz to Zurich was scheduled for Christmas Eve morning to transport passengers to their destination.
