A Korean Air plane was forced to U-turn and make an emergency landing after dropping more than 25,000 feet due to a fault in the aircraft’s pressurization system. According to the Independent, flight KE189 departed Seoul’s Incheon International Airport (ICN) on June 22, 2024, at about 16:45 local time, headed for Taichung International Airport (RMQ) in Taiwan.

However, 50 minutes into its journey, the Boeing 737 Max 8 plane started descending sharply and fell about 26,900 feet in around 15 minutes. According to FL360aero, the message ”pressure system (pressure control function of the aircraft) abnormality” was displayed while the aircraft was flying over Jeju Island.

As a result, several passengers experienced hyperventilation and ear pain, prompting oxygen masks to be released inside the cabin of the plane. One passenger told The Taipei Times that children on the flight were crying when oxygen masks were deployed during the flight’s plunge.

 Another passenger said she felt something was amiss as the aircraft seemed to be hovering in the air and the flight attendants remained in their seats.

Upon landing in Taichung, Taiwan, 17 people were evaluated at medical facilities and were later discharged without severe injuries.

Korean Air apologised to ”all affected by this incident”, and said, ”We are fully cooperating with all relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. We have provided comprehensive support to affected passengers, including accommodation, meals, and transportation arrangements.’

The flight resumed on the morning of June 23 with a different aircraft, about 19 hours after the initial departure schedule. passengers, who arrived at Taichung International Airport, said they were frightened and that they would not take a flight for a while, Taipei Times reported.

A Korean Air spokesperson said the airline is conducting a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the pressurisation system malfunction, intending to address any maintenance issues before returning the aircraft to service.

Boeing, the plane that suffered a malfunction during the flight, has been under massive pressure following a string of incidents involving their planes. 

An Air India Express flight from Dubai to Amritsar was diverted to Karachi due to a medical emergency on Saturday.

An airline spokesperson said a passenger had a sudden medical complication onboard the flight and the crew opted to divert the flight to Karachi since it was the closest location to provide immediate medical assistance.

“The airline closely coordinated with the airport and local authorities, and the guest was provided immediate medical services after landing.

“The airport doctor at Karachi administered required medication and after medical assessment, the pax was cleared to fly by the airport medical team,” the spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday.

According to the statement, the flight departed from Dubai at 8:51 am local time and landed in Karachi at 12:30 pm local time. Later, the flight departed for Amritsar at 2:30 pm (Karachi local time).

“We would like to extend our gratitude to the local authorities at Karachi airport for their immediate response and help,” the spokesperson said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

An Akasa aircraft from Mumbai with 166 people onboard made an emergency landing at Varanasi airport on Friday after the airline received a bomb threat message on social media, according to an airline spokesperson.

The airline said the captain of the flight QP 1498 received an “emergency alert” from the Varanasi Air Traffic Controller and followed all required emergency procedures and landed the plane safely at Varanasi.

“At 1130 am, Akasa Air got a bomb threat message on social media. We informed the local police in Mumbai and initiated the procedure for filing an FIR,” the spokesperson said.

Subsequently, the emergency response mechanism was put in place and as part of the security protocol, the airline informed all the 16 airports from where it operates about the bomb threat and put them on alert, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the threat was later categorised as “non-specific”.

According to the airline, there were 166 people onboard, including 159 passengers, 1 infant and 6 operating operating crew members in the Mumbai-Varanasi flight.

Varanasi Airport Director Puneet Gupta said that after a thorough security check, nothing objectionable was found and the aircraft was declared safe.

“Akasa Air flight QP 1498, flying from Mumbai to Varanasi on September 29, 2023 received an emergency alert from Air Traffic Control. The captain followed all required emergency procedures and landed safely in Varanasi,” the airline said in a statement.

The airline said that all the mandated security procedures have been completed and the aircraft has subsequently been declared safe.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Singapore:

An Air China flight made an emergency landing in Singapore on Sunday after its left engine caught fire, leaving nine of the 155 people on board with minor injuries, authorities said.

Flight CA403 from the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu “encountered smoke in the forward cargo hold and lavatory” while on its way to the city-state, Changi Airport said in a statement on Facebook.

The plane landed at around 4:15 pm (0815 GMT) and “all passengers and crew have evacuated safely”, the statement said.

“The fire in the left engine has been put out,” it said.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said there were 146 passengers and nine crew on board.

“Nine passengers sustained minor injuries related to smoke inhalation and abrasions during the evacuation process. They have since been attended to,” it said.

A video clip posted on X, formerly Twitter, showed passengers exiting what appeared to be the stricken aircraft down an emergency slide onto the tarmac.

Pratt&Whitney engine on fire, Air China flight evacuated on Singapore runway.

CA403 TFU-SIN squawking 7700 shortly before landing at Singapore due to PW1100G engine fire. Heavy smoke in cabin, crew evacuated the plane on runway.

The aircraft is a 4-year old A320neo B-305J. pic.twitter.com/CHBTPt8Du2

— FATIII Aviation (@FATIIIAviation) September 10, 2023

The runway was closed briefly and one aircraft was diverted to the nearby island of Batam in Indonesia, CAAS said.

It said the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau was investigating the incident and has contacted its Chinese counterpart to help.

Air China did not respond immediately to an AFP query.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)