Passengers feared their aircraft was ‘on fire’ during a dramatic incident at Birmingham Airport this afternoon. A passenger shared picture of inside the Emirates A380 on the runway at Birmingham Airport this afternoon, July 4 as fire crews attended.
One onlooker posted a video which suggested the large aircraft had burst a tyre on landing which may have caused the alert, BirminghamLive reported. Fire crews dashed onto the runway and were pictured around the aircraft on the runway.
A spokesperson for Birmingham Airport said: “There was a problem with the brakes on the A380. It looks dramatic but passengers on board were safe at all times albeit inconvenienced. It’s now moved.”
It is understood that hundreds of passengers are now delayed and remain on board as crews deal with the incident. Sharing a picture from inside the plane, @harleenjabs said: “Amazing how this is happening, landing gear on fire. Surrounded by fire engines, flight from Dubai. Flight from Dubai landed with fire on landing gear plane being towed.”
The airline’s flagship jet only resumed its service at Solihull-based BHX on July 1 after it axed flights to Birmingham during the pandemic. One passenger described the plane being “surrounded by fire engines” as they landed on the tarmac at Birmingham Airport this afternoon.
A spokesperson for Birmingham Airport told BirminghamLive today that everyone is safe on board, but may encounter delays as crews work to resolve the problem. Footage shared online shows the A380 jumbo landing on the tarmac at BHX and smoke rising from the wheels area. A spokesperson for BHX has confirmed that the root of the issue was a problem with the brakes - and everyone is safe and accounted for.
A BHX spokesperson confirmed that the issue is only with this particular plane and there is no disruption to passengers using the terminal to fly elsewhere. They added that plane has “now moved.”
