Air passenger recounts lightning strike

Just a few minutes after a Ryanair flight took off from Pisa airport, Ivan Distefano heard a loud bang and a saw bright flash as the plane was struck by lightning.

The flight, scheduled to land in Malta at about 9 p.m. on Thursday, was delayed for three hours after the captain made an emergency landing in Ciampino, in Rome.

Mr Distefano, from Naxxar, was on the flight with his wife Sandra and 10-year-old son Gianluca.

There were a few screams when lightning struck but everyone remained calm, Mr Distefano said: "I was not scared."

The hostesses continued serving drinks while the captain made an announcement to reassure passengers there was no damage and the plane would land at Ciampino for security reasons.

The landing was uneventful and the passengers were asked to remain on board during an inspection. Minutes later, however, the captain announced that engineers had found a fault in the plane and that the passengers would be transferred to another flight.

"I was very satisfied with the way everything was handled. There was no sense of panic, shouting or hysteria," said Mr Distefano.

Coincidentally, the low-cost airline this week launched a million seats for €5 each to mark the third anniversary of its Malta-Pisa route, which has so far carried over 125,000 passengers.

The seats are only available for Ryanair's European routes - specifically between November 19 and January 31 - and the fares include taxes and charges.

These dates exclude school holidays, public holidays and major sporting events. The offer closes on Monday at midnight.