Same aircraft, same problem, same emergency: a malfunction in the pressurization system late yesterday evening forced the pilot of the Aeroitalia plane bound for Cagliari to return to Fiumicino , just minutes after takeoff. A scenario that had already played out that afternoon: takeoff, malfunction, and return to base.
The two events have very similar chronologies. Aeroitalia is using aircraft from a Greek carrier . One of these was in service yesterday on the Fiumicino-Cagliari route. The first flight was at 1:30 PM. It departed promptly with 106 passengers on board and reached an altitude of 11,000 feet over the Tyrrhenian Sea when, suddenly, it descended to just under 5,000 feet before returning to Leonardo Da Vinci. The airline stated: "There was an anomaly in the pressurization system."
An isolated case? No. Because the same plane—certainly after thorough checks— was back on the runway that evening . This time, it was late: landing in Cagliari was scheduled for 11:20 PM, but takeoff was at 10:50 PM. Having reached an altitude of 11,000 feet, the plane reversed course roughly halfway.
What happened? The airline revealed: the plane, " carrying 69 passengers and crew, returned to the departure airport as a precaution following a reported anomaly in the pressurization system. The landing," Aeroitalia says, "was completed smoothly and completely safely. The passengers were also assisted by airline staff, transferred to a hotel for the night, and subsequently re-boarded on flight XX2331" this morning, "departing Rome-Fiumicino at 7:00 a.m., bound for Cagliari."
