Smoke in Cockpit Prompts Urgent Diversion of Transavia Boeing 737

LYON, FRANCE – A Transavia France Boeing 737-800, operating as Flight TO8098, was forced to make an emergency landing at Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport (LYS) on the afternoon of Monday, January 5, 2026. The crew declared an in-flight emergency after reports of "suspicious smoke" emanating from the flight deck while the aircraft was cruising over central France.

Emergency Squawk and Rapid Descent

The aircraft, registered as F-HTVY, departed Paris-Orly (ORY) at 15:30 CET, bound for Sfax-Thyna International Airport (SFA) in Tunisia. Approximately 40 minutes into the flight, while positioned over the Saint-Étienne region, the flight crew issued a Squawk 7700, the international signal for a general emergency.

Flight tracking data indicates that the aircraft initiated a rapid descent from its cruising altitude to approximately 10,000 feet as a precautionary measure before being vectored toward Lyon by air traffic control. The aircraft touched down safely on Lyon's tarmac at 16:21 CET.

Official Responses and Ground Operations

Upon arrival, the Boeing 737 was met on the runway by a full deployment of airport emergency services. Firefighters immediately boarded the aircraft to investigate the source of the smoke.

In an official statement regarding the incident, a spokesperson for Transavia, a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group, confirmed the diversion:

"The decision to divert the plane was taken in accordance with the manufacturer's procedures, the company's instructions and in application of the precautionary principle."

Local emergency services in Lyon reported that their intervention "allowed the situation to be quickly brought under control." While the exact origin of the smoke remains under investigation by technical teams, initial assessments categorised the event as a technical malfunction rather than a fire.

Passenger Impact and Recovery

No injuries were reported among the passengers or crew. Following the landing, the flight was officially cancelled for the day. Transavia provided hotel accommodations for the stranded travellers in the Lyon area.

The airline confirmed that a replacement flight was scheduled for Tuesday, January 6, to transport the passengers to their final destination in Tunisia. The affected aircraft, F-HTVY, remains on the ground in Lyon for a comprehensive safety inspection.

Incident Summary: