A Wizz Air flight heading from Rome to Constanța was halted on the taxiway on Saturday morning after a flight attendant spotted a crack in one of the aircraft windows just before takeoff.
Passengers were already in their seats and the aircraft was actively taxied toward the runway when the cabin crew member noticed the damage. She immediately informed the flight crew in the cockpit to prevent the plane from departing, according to a report by Romanian news outlet Ziarul de Iași.
The captain chose to abort the departure procedure right away and steered the aircraft back to a designated technical inspection area. The flight, originally scheduled to take off at 06:10, was canceled to allow maintenance teams to examine the damaged window.
Aircraft swap and departure updates
Wizz Air later decided to replace the affected aircraft entirely rather than attempt an immediate repair. Ground staff informed waiting passengers that the flight could potentially resume at approximately 08:45, depending on how quickly technical preparation and pre-flight procedures could be finished for the substitute plane.
Wizz Air is an ultra-low-cost Hungarian airline that operates an extensive network of budget flights connecting destinations across Europe and nearby regions. The route links Rome, the Italian capital, with Constanța, a coastal city and major economic hub located on the Black Sea in southeastern Romania.
Aircraft window construction and safety
Modern passenger airplanes feature multi-pane windows constructed from tough acrylic materials designed to withstand strong atmospheric pressure changes at cruising altitude. Ground-level safety checks are critical for identifying outer pane cracks or surface defects before an aircraft ascends and pressurises its cabin.
Aviation safety guidelines require pilots to abort departure whenever structural anomalies are detected during taxiing. Wizz Air has not provided additional details concerning what caused the crack to form on the window of the plane.
