Turkish Airlines plane evacuated in Nepal after smoke seen from landing gear
All 277 passengers and 11 crew members were evacuated through the emergency exits, and no injuries were reported, according to the airline and the aviation regulator.
By Gopal SharmaTuesday May 12, 2026
A Turkish Airlines aircraft was evacuated after smoke was seen near its landing gear as it rolled after touchdown in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, prompting authorities to shut the airport for about an hour, the carrier said.
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An airbus belonging to Turkish Airlines is parked at Tribhuvan International Airport after a minor fire broke out while landing in Kathmandu, Nepal. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar Purchase Licensing Rights
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) had earlier said a fire had started in the right rear tyre of the Airbus A330, and that crews extinguished it before the aircraft was towed to the taxiway.
All 277 passengers and 11 crew members were evacuated through the emergency exits, and no injuries were reported, according to the airline and the aviation regulator.
“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,” Yahya Ustun, the airline’s senior vice president for communications, said on social media platform X.
Ustun added that an additional flight had been arranged to bring the passengers back.
Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Writing by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Jamie Freed
