A British Airways aircraft caught fire after flying from London to Copenhagen.
Dramatic pictures on social media captured firefighters rushing to hose down the plane as everyone got off the Airbus A320-232 on Wednesday without injury, British Airways has confirmed.
Dramatic scenes show emergency crews at Copenhagen Airport, Denmark, spraying flame-retardant foam on the jet's engine and wheels.
Gabe Gudgel, from Oklahoma City, who was meant to be on the flight, said: “We were waiting for our flight to board and it was delayed a few minutes.
"Then, as the plane had landed and it was approaching our gate, the wheel burst into flames and would not stop smoking.
“That’s when fire trucks and ambulances all surrounded the plane and started hosing it down. I believe everyone that was on the plane got out safely.
“We waited for a couple of hours while they were still spraying it down. They were spraying water on the wheel for about 20 minutes and it was still burning.
“Then they finally cancelled the flight and we left. Wild day!"
A British Airways spokesperson said: “Fire services were called to assist with the aircraft on landing in Copenhagen. All customers and crew disembarked the BA820 safely. We would never operate an aircraft unless it was safe to do so.”
Gabe had earlier posted online: “It looks like our flight from Copenhagen to London on British Airway might be a bit delayed.
"Now it looks like they’re spraying down the wing and inspecting the engine."
As a result of the incident, the flight's return leg to London was cancelled.
The news came as British Airways announced on Tuesday it will axe another 10,300 short-haul flights as the flight company battles increased demand and staff shortages after the easing of Covid travel restrictions.
Its statement read: "The whole aviation industry continues to face into significant challenges and we're completely focused on building resilience into our operation to give customers the certainty they deserve.
"The Government recently decided to give the whole industry slot alleviation to minimise potential disruption this summer.
"While taking further action is not where we wanted to be, it's the right thing to do for our customers and our colleagues. This new flexibility means we can further reduce our schedule and consolidate some of our quieter services so we can protect as many of our holiday flights as possible."
