An Airbus aircraft operated by South Korean airline Air Busan caught fire on the runway at Gimhae International Airport in the southern part of the country while preparing for its flight to Hong Kong, according to fire authorities on Tuesday. All 169 passengers and seven crew members were successfully evacuated, with three individuals sustaining minor injuries, as reported by Busan fire officials.
According to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, the fire originated in the tail section of the aircraft. Local broadcaster YTN aired footage showing evacuation slides deployed on both sides of the single-aisle plane, while emergency personnel worked to extinguish the smoke and flames emanating from the jet. Additional footage from Yonhap revealed charred holes along the length of the fuselage roof.
This incident comes just a month after the deadliest aviation disaster in South Korea, where a Jeju Air flight from Bangkok crashed during an emergency belly landing at Muan Airport, resulting in the deaths of all but two of the 181 people on board.
Air Busan, a budget airline, is a subsidiary of Asiana Airlines, which was acquired by Korean Air in December. Airbus, the plane’s manufacturer, acknowledged awareness of the incident and stated that it is in communication with Air Busan. Air Busan and Asiana Airlines have not yet responded to requests for comments, while Korean Air has referred inquiries to Air Busan.
The aircraft involved is a 17-year-old Airbus A321ceo model, identified by the tail number HL7763, according to the Aviation Safety Network, a reputable database maintained by the Flight Safety Foundation.
