Passengers on board a Ryanair flight to Bergamo had an anxious moment yesterday when their plane was struck by lightning.

The plane departed Malta at 5.30 p.m. and was struck about an hour into the flight.

Passengers were visibly anxious, with some children crying and some women screaming..

"The noise was like somebody had slammed a door very loundly, the plane briefly lit up," a passenger said.

The flight proceeded normally. The Captain called on the passengers to stay calm and assured them that all was okay. All aircraft are equipped to deal with lightning strikes.