On Tuesday (January 30), the Busan Fire Department reported that a fire incident occurred on an Airbus aircraft belonging to South Korean low-cost airline Busan Air while it was preparing to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in the southern part of South Korea.
According to the Busan Fire Department, all 169 passengers and 7 crew members on board the aircraft have been safely evacuated, with 3 people sustaining minor injuries while evacuating through inflatable slides.
The fire broke out around 10:30 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time) within the aircraft, originating from the rear of the plane and spreading to the fuselage, as reported by Yonhap. Firefighters arrived at the scene within 8 minutes and swiftly commenced firefighting operations.
Footage from the scene captured by YTN, a local media outlet, showed emergency slides deployed on both sides of the single-aisle aircraft, with rescue personnel managing thick smoke and flames coming from the fuselage. Subsequent images provided by Yonhap revealed multiple holes burned along the length of the aircraft’s top.
This incident comes less than a month after the worst aviation disaster in South Korean history. On December 29, 2024, a Jeju Air plane en route from Bangkok to Muan Airport in South Korea lost control during a belly landing, resulting in only 2 survivors among the 181 passengers and crew.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Busan Air is a subsidiary of South Korea’s Asiana Airlines, which was acquired by Korean Air in December 2024.
According to Reuters, aircraft manufacturer Airbus acknowledged the incident and is collaborating with Busan Air to address the matter.
Busan Air and Asiana Airlines have yet to respond to media inquiries, with Korean Air redirecting related queries to Busan Air.
The aircraft involved in the fire, registered as HL7763, is an Airbus A321ceo model with a 17-year service history, as per the Aviation Safety Network operated by the Flight Safety Foundation.
Gimhae International Airport, located approximately 315 kilometers (195 miles) southeast of Seoul, is the main airport serving the Busan region in South Korea.