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A false fire alarm onboard a Ryanair flight led to chaos on the runway of Mallorca’s Palma Airport over the weekend, with at least 18 passengers sustaining injuries after jumping from the plane’s wing in panic.
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The flight, scheduled to depart for Manchester on Saturday night, was preparing for takeoff when the cabin crew alerted passengers to a possible fire onboard. Videos circulating online show travellers climbing out onto the aircraft wing before leaping onto the tarmac, with several landing awkwardly.
As per The Independent, six passengers were transported to hospital, while others were treated for minor injuries at the scene, including sprains and fractures. Among those hospitalised was 56-year-old Denise Kelly, who described the evacuation as a “life or death situation.” She suffered multiple injuries after jumping and told MailOnline she was left “completely traumatised” by the experience.
An audio recording captured by airport staff revealed confusion on the ground. “Do you know the plane has emergency exits?” one worker reportedly said over a walkie-talkie, according to The Telegraph, as they observed passengers evacuating via the wing instead of using slides.
In a statement issued to The Independent, Ryanair confirmed that the takeoff was aborted due to a “false fire warning light indication.” The airline added that passengers were disembarked using inflatable slides and that a small number of injuries occurred during the evacuation.
To reduce further disruption, Ryanair arranged a replacement flight that departed Palma at 7:05am the following morning. The airline has since apologised to passengers for the incident and the inconvenience caused.
Mallorca’s emergency services confirmed the alarm was received at 12:36am, dispatching four ambulances to the scene. All injuries were described as minor.
While the situation was quickly brought under control, the incident raises renewed questions around passenger awareness and response protocols during in-flight emergencies.
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