ADVERTISEMENT
There were indications of wind shear, or a sudden downdraft, at the airport during the aircraft’s descent, but it remained uncertain whether this had any impact on the situation, as noted by the airline’s CEO later on.
Social media users reported seeing smoke at the site, and images depicted a plane ablaze on the airport’s runway.
A passenger, Iype Vallikadan, mentioned that the pilot had informed them of an issue with the landing gear as the aircraft approached Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, and that an emergency landing would be executed, according to the Associated Press.
Among the passengers were six U.S. citizens, as stated by the airline. Additionally, there were 226 individuals from India, 24 from Britain, 11 from the Emirates, six from Saudi Arabia, five from Turkey, and four from Ireland.
Two individuals each hailed from Australia, Brazil, Germany, Malaysia, and Thailand, while one each came from Croatia, Egypt, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lebanon, the Philippines, South Africa, Switzerland, and Tunisia
Saif Mohamed Al Suwaidi, the director general of Dubai’s General Civil Aviation Authority, tweeted that the agency has activated the investigation team collaborating with Emirates Airlines and Dubai Airport. He stated, “Our primary concern at this moment is the safety and well-being of all passengers and cabin crew.”
The airport reported that other flights experienced delays of approximately six hours and operations resumed shortly before 7 p.m. local time.