Emirates plane damaged in hail storm shortly after take off

Dubai: Emirates airline said a New York-bound flight had to return to its departure point in Milan after hailstorm damaged the plane.

Flight EK205, scheduled to leave Milan (MXP) for New York (JFK) on July 13 at 14:10 (Milan time), had returned to Milan shortly after take-off due to adverse weather conditions, an airline spokesperson told Gulf News in a statement.

"The flight landed without incident in Milan and passengers and crew were safely disembarked - all affected passengers were accommodated and rebooked on subsequent services the following day," the spokesperson said.

"Emirates apologises for any inconvenience caused, but the safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost importance and will not be compromised," the statement added.

Separately, the Milan Malpensa airport in a tweet said: "Congratulation to the crew who brought the plane to the ground without further consequences."