A330 Airone with smoke in cockpit and cabin.
 

Yesterday night an Airone A330 (AP629) ORD-FCO just after airborne returns back in Chicago because of smoke in cockpit and cabin.
Anybody knows something more?


Atterraggio di emergenza a Chicago per airbus della nuova Alitalia - Corriere della Sera

According to the The Aviation Herald

It was due to the air-con.

Regards,

For non Italian speakers, the article in the Corriere della Sera simply refers to a "problem with the pressurization system" but the best part is the observation that it was "impossible to use the oxygen masks". This was at 3000ft.

Even more bizarre is the comment from consumer advocate Carlo Rienzi who told media: "We want explanations not only about the causes that generated the smoke on board but above all about the impossibility to use the oxygen masks. Until this is clarified the entire fleet of the new company must be grounded until every aircraft is inspected".

Good old 'consumer advocates'. The oxygen masks should not be deployed because they don't provide protection against smoke and fumes, and being chemical generators they can't be stopped once started. Pumping large amounts of oxygen into a smoke-filled cabin is risky.
But, of course, the lawyers know better than the pilots ...