The initial elements of the investigation into the emergency landing on Monday of a Swiss Airbus A220-300 aircraft, due to the presence of smoke while flying from Bucharest to Zurich, „indicate a technical issue with one of the engines.”
Swiss estimates that it has no reason to ground its fleet of aircraft of this type, reports AFP.
"Based on our current analyses and in close cooperation with the competent authorities, nothing indicates that the safety of this type of aircraft is compromised," the Swiss company emphasizes in a statement issued on Thursday.
The plane, which was flying from Bucharest to Zurich, landed in Graz, Austria, due to smoke in the cabin and cockpit.
There were 74 passengers on board. Approximately ten passengers required medical attention.
The German Lufthansa subsidiary also announces that two cabin crew members are still hospitalized - one in intensive care.
"Investigations of this nature are complex, and Swiss also relies on information provided by investigative authorities and manufacturers. Therefore, three days after the incident, the cause is still not clearly established," the airline stresses.
"To date, all indications confirm that there is no fundamental issue compromising safety," the company further asserts.
The Airbus A220 aircraft is "a modern and safe plane," Swiss emphasizes.
And "Pratt & Whitney engines have accumulated over 36 million flight hours worldwide since their introduction, and we have confidence in the engines powering our A220 aircraft," Swiss further emphasizes.
Despite these assurances, the company was forced to ground some A220 aircraft in 2023 for inspections specifically on Pratt & Whitney engines - which had reliability issues.