Passengers escape safely after airport incident
Passengers and crew aboard a Turkish Airlines flight escaped safely on Monday after the aircraft’s landing gear caught fire while landing in Nepal.
The incident occurred at Tribhuvan International Airport as the plane arrived from Istanbul.
Officials confirmed that all 277 passengers and 11 crew members were safely evacuated from the aircraft.
Fire breaks out during landing
According to Nepal’s civil aviation authority, fire appeared on the aircraft’s right landing gear during landing.
Gyanendra Bhul said smoke and flames were visible as the plane touched down.
“Fire was visible during the landing. Investigations are ongoing. All passengers are safe,” he said.
Emergency teams quickly responded to the situation and secured the aircraft.
Emergency evacuation carried out
Turkish Airlines said passengers exited the plane through emergency slides after smoke appeared during taxiing.
The airline confirmed that its technical team had begun inspections to determine the exact cause of the incident.
Yahya Ustun said early findings pointed to a hydraulic pipe malfunction.
“Initial examinations indicate that the smoke was caused by a technical malfunction in a hydraulic pipe,” he stated on social media.
Airport runway temporarily closed
The incident forced authorities to close the airport’s only runway for nearly two hours.
Officials later reopened the runway after emergency crews cleared the aircraft and completed safety checks.
The temporary closure disrupted several flight operations at the airport.
Additional flight arranged
Turkish Airlines announced plans to arrange another aircraft for the return journey.
The airline also assured passengers that safety remains its top priority.
Officials said further technical inspections and investigations are ongoing.
Nepal faces aviation safety challenges
Nepal is known for its difficult aviation conditions. Many airports sit close to mountains and challenging terrain.
Pilots often face weather changes and narrow runways, especially in remote regions.
Over the years, the country has recorded several aviation incidents. Safety concerns also led the European Union to blacklist Nepalese airlines.
Previous Turkish Airlines incident recalled
This is not the first incident involving Turkish Airlines in Kathmandu.
In 2015, another Turkish Airlines aircraft carrying 224 passengers skidded off the runway at the same airport.
Although no passenger was injured, the accident shut down the runway for four days and disrupted international flights.
Authorities later announced plans to improve radar and weather monitoring systems to strengthen aviation safety in the country.
