Emirates plane forced to return to Milan Airport after flying through hail storm

Photo source: Vola Milano 

On Tuesday, July 13th, an Emirates flight EK205 with a Boeing 777-31ER (A6-ECF) taking off from Milan Malpensa Airport bound for New York-JFK have begun holding for 90 minutes over the Milan region and was eventually forced to return to Milan Airport after flying through a violent thunderstorm and being hit by hail, interrupting the climb at 20,225 feet.

Emirates EK205 flight data

The image above: RadarBox.com

The image above: Emirates EK205 tracklog

Part of the Boeing 777's fuselage damaged - Photo source: Vola Milano 

Photo source: Vola Milano 

The holding was necessary to drop fuel to land safely shortly after on runway 35L at Milan International Airport. The damage to the Boeing 777-31ER was notable and affected the cockpit glass, and parts of the aircraft's fuselage were damaged.

Photo source: Vola Milano 

Strong storms hit parts of northern Italy, France, and Germany due to the high temperatures recorded this summer, causing large rainfall volumes.