Airbus catches fire before takeoff, injuring several at South Korean airport

In South Korea, an incident occurred on January 28, 2025, when the tail of an Airbus A321 caught fire prior to its scheduled departure from Gimhae International Airport in Busan. The aircraft was preparing to take off with 176 people on board, including 169 passengers and seven crew members, heading to Hong Kong. Fortunately, the evacuation procedure was executed safely using inflatable slides, and all individuals were evacuated from the plane. Despite this successful response, several individuals did sustain injuries, with reports indicating that the injuries were related to smoke inhalation and discomfort during the evacuation process. The injuries affected seven individuals, four of whom were crew members suffering from chest discomfort due to smoke inhalation. The other three included a woman in her 70s and two individuals in their 50s, who experienced pain in their backs and tailbones. The quick response from firefighting teams was critical; they arrived on the scene promptly and worked to contain the fire, which had started in the tail section before spreading to the fuselage. The National Fire Agency stated that the blaze was fully extinguished about an hour following its outbreak. This incident comes in the wake of a tragic plane crash that occurred less than a month earlier at Muan International Airport, in which 179 lives were lost. That crash, attributed to multiple factors including bird strikes, highlights the ongoing safety concerns within South Korea's air travel sector. It serves as a stark reminder of the hazards inherent in aviation and the ramifications of even minor incidents, such as the one that occurred at Gimhae airport. Recovery efforts from the previous crash have underscored the need for systemic improvements in aircraft safety measures and protocols in addressing emergencies. Following the incident at Gimhae, normal operations at the airport were resumed the next day, January 29, 2025, with 279 scheduled flights operating as planned, except for eight Air Busan flights that were canceled due to the incident. The quick containment of the fire and the successful evacuation of passengers ensured that the situation did not escalate further, but the authorities remain vigilant regarding further investigations into the cause of the fire, emphasizing the importance of ensuring passenger safety in all aspects of air travel. The role of Air Busan, a budget carrier with ties to Asiana Airlines—recently acquired by Korean Air—will be scrutinized as inquiries continue into the events leading up to the fire.