Dubai-bound aircraft reports fire; then heads to destination with indicators reported normal

Kathmandu, April 24

A Dubai-bound aircraft with nearly 150 people on board on Monday reported a problem in one of its engines soon after taking off from the Tribhuvan International Airport here, according to airport sources.

The FlyDubai aircraft heading towards Dubai returned back and hovered over the skies in Dharke after a problem was reported in one of its engines, sources said.

The pilots later told the control tower they will continue after finding out that all indicators are normal.

“The aircraft switched off its engine for some time after encountering the problem and now it is heading towards the destination without landing in Kathmandu airport,” Deputy Director of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal was quoted as saying by a private television news channel.

The aircraft took off from Tribhuvan International Airport at 9.20 am.

Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sudan Kirati shared on his Facebook account that the FlyDubai plane was flying to its destination safely and urged all not to worry about it.

Earlier, it was reported that preparations are underway for an emergency landing of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft at the airport here.

There are more than 150 people on board including 50 Nepali passengers.

Eyewitnesses claimed they saw aircraft catching fire in the Kathmandu sky.

Fire engines were kept on alert at the airport, according to sources.

The airport has now resumed its operation, said Pratap Babu Tiwari, general manager of Tribhuvan International Airport.

“Fly Dubai flight number 576 (Boeing 737-800) Kathmandu to Dubai flight is normal now and proceeding to her destination Dubai as per the flight plan,” Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) said in a tweet.

“Kathmandu airport operation is normal from 1614 UTC (09:59pm local time),” CAAN said.