Condor Airlines Boeing 757-300, carrying 273 passengers and eight crew members, was forced to make an emergency landing in Brindisi, Italy, on 16 August 2025, after its right engine caught fire shortly after departing from Corfu, Greece.
Flight DE3665, bound for Düsseldorf, Germany, had a malfunction approximately 40 minutes into the flight. Passengers reported that they could hear loud explosions and see fire coming from the engine. One passenger described the experience as so terrifying that they sent “goodbye texts” to loved ones, thinking, “It’s over now.”
A German Condor aircraft flying to Düsseldorf made an emergency landing in southern Italy due to engine failure caused by suspected bird strike.
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) August 17, 2025
The Condor Boeing 757-330 aircraft (D-ABOK) flying from Corfu (CFU) to Dusseldorf (DUS) started spitting flames right after the… pic.twitter.com/k4b0W0myqg
Speaking to BILD, one passenger recalled: “Suddenly, the power went out for a few seconds, and we realised we were no longer climbing.”
Condor Airlines stated that the reason for the engine failure was a chemical reaction within the combustion chamber, causing the visible flames at the rear of the engine.
“The reason was a parameter indication outside the normal range caused by a disturbance in the air flow supply to the engine. Due to the fault message, it was precautionarily decided to divert to Brindisi,” said Condor Airlines spokesperson in a statement to LADbible.
“This posed no danger to the guests or crew members at any time. The aircraft landed around 8:15 p.m. at Brindisi Airport, and all 273 guests as well as the eight crew members disembarked the aircraft normally,” the spokesperson added.
Βίντεο καταγράφει σειρά εκρήξεων στον κινητήρα αεροσκάφους Boeing 757 της Condor Airlines, μετά την απογείωση από την Κέρκυρα, στις 16 Αυγούστου. Το αεροσκάφος με προορισμό το Ντίσελντορφ που μετέφερε 273 επιβάτες, πραγματοποίησε αναγκαστική προσγείωση στο Μπρίντιζι της Ιταλίας. pic.twitter.com/dCLjgJRnW1
— TRT Ελληνικά (@trtellinika) August 20, 2025
Emergency crews were on standby at Brindisi Airport, and the runway was temporarily closed to permit landing. No injuries were reported among the 281 people on board. Due to limited hotel capacity in Brindisi, some passengers had to spend the night at the airport. Condor provided vouchers, blankets, and access to airport shops for those affected. Passengers who used alternative accommodation can submit their expenses to be reimbursed. A replacement aircraft was dispatched the following morning to transport passengers to Düsseldorf.
The Boeing 757-300 aircraft involved in the incident is registered as D-ABOK. The aircraft is currently undergoing a technical inspection to determine the exact cause of the engine failure.
This incident has raised concerns about the reliability of ageing aircraft models, as the Boeing 757 has been in service since the early 1980s. However, Condor Airlines emphasised that passenger safety remains its utmost priority and apologised for any inconvenience caused by the emergency landing.
