Turkish Airlines plane catches fire after landing, Kathmandu airport shut down

KATHMANDU: A Turkish Airlines passenger aircraft was evacuated shortly after landing at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport on Monday after a fire broke out in one of its rear tyres, airport authorities confirmed. The incident temporarily disrupted airport operations and forced officials to suspend flights for nearly an hour as emergency teams responded to the situation.

The Airbus A330, arriving from Istanbul, was carrying 277 passengers and 11 crew members at the time of the incident. According to Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority, smoke and flames were detected in the aircraft’s right rear landing gear area while the plane was taxiing on the runway after landing.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene and successfully brought the fire under control before towing the aircraft away from the active taxiway. Officials confirmed that all passengers and crew members were safely evacuated through emergency exits and no injuries were reported.

A spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said the aircraft has since been grounded for technical inspection while authorities investigate the exact cause of the malfunction. The temporary closure of Kathmandu airport caused brief disruptions to scheduled flight operations before services resumed later in the day.

Turkish Airlines later issued a statement saying smoke had been observed in the landing gear section during taxiing procedures. Initial assessments by the airline suggested that the incident may have been linked to a malfunction in a hydraulic pipe connected to the aircraft’s landing system.

The airline added that an additional flight had been arranged to assist affected passengers with their onward travel. Aviation authorities and airline engineers are continuing detailed inspections of the aircraft to determine the full extent of the technical fault.