A Brussels Airlines aircraft carrying 176 passengers was struck by lightning shortly after taking off from Brussels Airport on Monday afternoon, forcing the plane to return to Brussels for inspection, Flemish daily Het Laatste Nieuws reported.
The plane was en route to Budapest when the incident occurred.
According to Brussels Airlines spokesperson Nico Cardone, the aircraft immediately returned to Zaventem as a precautionary measure.
"Aircraft are designed to withstand this, so safety was never compromised," Cardone told HLN.
There were reportedly 176 passengers and six crew members on board at the time.
Following technical inspections, the aircraft was reportedly cleared to return to service.
Passengers were eventually flown to Budapest on another plane, arriving about 2.5 hours late, HLN reported.
