A Turkish Airlines passenger jet was evacuated after smoke was detected coming from its landing gear while taxiing at Tribhuvan International Airport, prompting emergency response measures and the temporary closure of Nepal’s main international airport.

The incident occurred shortly after the Airbus A330 landed safely in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, on Monday morning following its flight from Istanbul. Airport authorities initially reported that a fire had broken out in the aircraft’s right rear tire area during taxiing operations.

Emergency rescue and firefighting teams rushed to the scene and quickly brought the situation under control before the aircraft was towed away from the runway to a taxiway for technical inspections.

According to Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, all 277 passengers and 11 crew members on board were safely evacuated using emergency exits. No injuries were reported.

The airport was temporarily shut down for nearly an hour during the emergency response, causing delays and disruptions to several incoming and outgoing flights. Since Kathmandu’s airport operates with a single runway, authorities suspended flight operations while emergency teams secured the aircraft and cleared the area.

In a statement, Yahya Ustun said preliminary inspections indicated the smoke was likely caused by a technical malfunction involving a hydraulic pipe rather than a major fire in the landing gear itself.

“Technical inspections of the aircraft have been initiated by our teams. Initial assessments indicate that the smoke was caused by a technical malfunction in a hydraulic pipe,” Ustun said.

The airline also confirmed that an additional flight was being arranged to transport affected passengers to their destinations following the evacuation.

The incident has once again drawn attention to aviation safety challenges at Kathmandu’s airport, which is considered one of the region’s more demanding airports due to mountainous terrain and unpredictable weather conditions. Aviation officials in Nepal have launched an investigation into the incident alongside technical teams from Airbus and Turkish Airlines.

This is not the first operational incident involving Turkish Airlines flights connected to Kathmandu in recent months. Earlier this year, another Turkish Airlines Airbus A330 operating between Kathmandu and Istanbul made an emergency landing in Kolkata after an engine fire warning shortly after takeoff. All passengers in that incident also survived safely.

Despite the scare in Kathmandu, aviation officials praised the rapid response of airport firefighters and emergency crews, saying their swift intervention helped prevent the situation from escalating further. (ILKHA)