KATHMANDU, Nepal — An aircraft operated by Turkish Airlines experienced a fire incident during its arrival at Nepal’s primary aviation hub on Monday morning, prompting airport authorities to temporarily suspend operations while emergency crews responded.
The aircraft, traveling from Istanbul, touched down at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu when flames and smoke erupted from the right-side landing gear assembly. Airport personnel confirmed that emergency responders quickly brought the blaze under control and successfully evacuated all travelers without any reported injuries.
Operations at the airport were suspended Monday morning as authorities addressed the situation.
The Airbus 330 aircraft was carrying 277 passengers at the time of the incident.
Multiple aircraft scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu were placed in holding patterns while officials conducted their investigation and worked to clear the airport’s single operational runway.
Aviation incidents occur with notable frequency in Nepal due to challenging flying conditions created by the country’s mountainous geography and unpredictable weather patterns.
A similar incident involving Turkish Airlines occurred in 2015 when another aircraft landing in heavy fog conditions at Kathmandu slid off the wet runway surface, resulting in airport closure for multiple days.
That earlier incident also resulted in no passenger injuries, and the aircraft was eventually removed from the airport grounds and repurposed as a museum exhibit.
