An Airbus A321 belonging to South Korean carrier Air Busan caught fire on January 29, 2025, at Gimhae International Airport while preparing for a flight to Hong Kong. All 176 individuals on board, including 169 passengers and seven crew members, were safely evacuated, although three sustained minor injuries.
- Air Busan plane caught fire at Gimhae Airport
- 169 passengers and 7 crew evacuated safely
- Fire started in the plane's tail
- Recent air disaster occurred a month prior
- Air Busan is part of Korean Air
- Airbus A321ceo model involved in incident
The incident occurred just before 10:30 p.m. local time, prompting a swift response from fire services. Eyewitness accounts and footage showed evacuation slides deployed on both sides of the aircraft as emergency workers battled the flames and smoke. The fire reportedly originated in the tail section of the plane, leading to significant damage along the fuselage.
Air Busan, a budget airline and subsidiary of Asiana Airlines, has been under scrutiny following a recent air disaster in South Korea. Just a month prior, a Jeju Air flight crashed during an emergency landing, resulting in the deaths of 179 people. This latest incident raises concerns about aviation safety in the region.
The Airbus A321 involved was 17 years old, with the tail number HL7763, according to the Aviation Safety Network. Airbus has acknowledged the incident and is in communication with Air Busan regarding the investigation. As of now, both Air Busan and Asiana Airlines have not provided further comments, and inquiries directed to Korean Air were referred back to Air Busan.
This fire incident at Gimhae International Airport highlights ongoing safety concerns in the airline industry, particularly in South Korea, where recent events have raised alarms about operational practices and emergency preparedness.
