A SWISS International Air Lines Airbus A330-300 diverted to Bangor International Airport (BGR) in Maine on July 27, 2026, after smoke was reported in the forward Business Class cabin during a transatlantic flight from Zurich Airport (ZRH) to New York’s John F Kennedy Airport (JFK).
Flight LX16, carrying 208 passengers, departed Zurich at around 10:30 local time and was roughly six and a half hours into its eight-hour journey when the crew reported smoke in the forward Business Class section.
The aircraft was cruising at 32,000 feet near Nova Scotia when the incident was reported. Pilots requested an immediate diversion and descended more than 22,000 feet in just 10 minutes, landing safely in Bangor shortly after.
Emergency crews respond, no fire detected
After landing, the crew brought the aircraft to a stop on the runway, where fire crews carried out a thermal and visual inspection while flight attendants stood on guard in case an emergency evacuation became necessary.
No fire was found, and the aircraft remained on the runway for nearly an hour before being moved to the terminal.
SWISS confirmed that all passengers and crew were safe. The airline said its teams in Switzerland and the United States were working to arrange onward travel for affected passengers and were coordinating directly with Bangor International Airport.
The airline said it would not speculate on the cause of the smoke until inspections are complete.
The same aircraft involved in an earlier incident
The aircraft, registered HB-JHK, is a 14-year-old A330-300 that has drawn attention over a previous incident.
In April 2026, the same aircraft suffered a serious failure of its left-hand Rolls-Royce Trent engine during a rejected takeoff at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL).
The aircraft was traveling at high speed on the runway when the engine failed, and the emergency stop caused visible smoke from the wheels and brakes.
An evacuation via inflatable slides followed, injuring six people, two of whom suffered broken legs. The aircraft returned to service on June 4, 2026.
FAA opens investigation
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has opened an investigation into the cause of the reported smoke, and the aircraft remains under inspection.
SWISS said it takes a cautious approach in situations like this, and will not comment further on possible causes until its own investigation concludes.