A total of 178 holidaymakers experienced horror at 26,000 feet after the aircraft was struck by lightning and needed to make an emergency landing.

A Condor A320 Airbus flying from the city of Hamburg, in Germany, to the popular Turkish holiday hotspot Antalya, had to make an urgent stop after it was struck by the lightning bolt. As a result, the captain chose to ground the aircraft in the city of Munich, Bavaria state.

The incident reportedly happened at around 8,000 metres (26,246 feet) above sea level on Sunday, 15th October.

A Condor spokesperson said: “[It was] diverted to Munich as a precautionary measure due to a lightning strike.

“A replacement aircraft was prepared for the guests on-site, which then took off to Antalya.”

Upon landing at around 3.40pm at the Munich International Airport, the passengers were immediately placed on the replacement flight.

They arrived at the vacation destination two hours later than scheduled. None of the passengers and crew was injured, claimed German media.

Meanwhile, the A320 Airbus plane was taken out of service and inspected by engineers to determine the extent of any damage.

The spokesperson added that the aircraft could probably be used again in flight operations at short notice. However, it is currently still waiting for a clean bill of health as the check continues.

It is reportedly quite common for a plane to be struck by lightning, but since it’s a metal structure, the shell creates a Faraday cage effect where the current goes around the plane.

When electricity is applied to a metal enclosure, it is not able to reach the inside and instead is conducted around the outside.