An Air Canada plane veered off the runway and caught fire at Halifax Stanfield International Airport on Sunday, following a landing gear malfunction.
The aircraft, operating as flight AC2259 and managed by PAL Airlines, was arriving from St. John’s when its landing gear reportedly failed upon touchdown. This caused the wing to scrape the runway, igniting a fire.
“Thankfully, there were no fatalities,” said an airport spokesperson, adding that emergency responders swiftly contained the fire and evacuated passengers.
This marked the third aviation incident reported globally within the day, raising concerns about air travel safety.
LEADERSHIP reports that a Jeju Air passenger plane carrying 180 passengers burst into flames while on the ground in Muan, approximately 290 kilometers from Seoul in South Korea Sunday morning. The accident has so far killed 176 passengers.
In Norway, a KLM Airlines Boeing 737-800 with 176 passengers and six crew members made an emergency landing at Oslo Torp Sandefjord Airport after experiencing a hydraulic failure. The plane skidded off runway 18 during the rollout but came to a stop on the grass near a taxiway.
Aviation authorities in all three countries were investigating the causes of the incidents.
Meanwhile, heavy fog caused significant disruptions across the UK’s busiest airports over the weekend. Stansted Airport reported multiple delays and cancellations on Saturday and Sunday, with Heathrow, Luton, and Manchester Airports also affected.
Travellers were advised to check flight schedules before heading to the airport as weather conditions continued to impact operations.
