An Emirates flight is grounded just before departing from Russian airport for Dubai due to smoke pouring out of the tail
- Firefighting equipment was seen spraying a Boeing 777 ahead of Friday’s flight
- The plane was grounded at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg over concerns
An Emirates plane in Russia was forced to return to the gate after smoke billowed from the tail just before takeoff.
Firefighting equipment was seen spraying the smoking Boeing 777 ahead of a flight from St. Petersburg to Dubai on Friday.
Passengers were ordered to disembark at the Pulkovo Airport terminal shortly before midnight.
“Smoke came from an airplane engine at St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport,” said a Russian emergency services worker.
“Flight EK176 from St. Petersburg to Dubai on 30 June 2023 returned to stand after smoke was reportedly detected during pushback to departure,” said an Emirates spokesman.
An Emirates plane in Russia was forced to return to the gate after smoke billowed from its tail just before takeoff at Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg on Friday
“As a precaution, all passengers and crew were disembarked while the aircraft was attended to by local authorities and the fire service.”
The cause of the smoke – which appears to be related to the aircraft’s rear auxiliary power unit rather than a main engine on the wing – has not been disclosed.
A total of 228 passengers and 15 crew members were disembarked.
The Boeing 777 finally took off about five hours late and arrived safely in Dubai around 11:30 a.m. local time after a six and a half hour flight.
The airline spokesman said: “Passengers were reboarded after inspections were completed and the aircraft was delayed in taking off.”
‘We apologize for the inconvenience.
“The safety of our passengers and cabin crew is of the utmost importance and will not be compromised.”
Emirates has continued to operate flights to and from Russia despite Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, which resulted in Western airlines grounding all flights to the country.
Western sanctions on the aircraft industry are hampering Russia’s ability to maintain and repair aircraft.
Firefighting equipment was seen spraying the smoking Boeing 777 ahead of a flight from St. Petersburg to Dubai
Passengers were ordered to disembark at the Pulkovo Airport terminal shortly before midnight
A total of 228 passengers and 15 crew members were disembarked before a Boeing 777 finally took off five hours later