KATHMANDU, NEPAL / MENA Newswire / — A Turkish Airlines Airbus A330 arriving from Istanbul was evacuated after landing at Tribhuvan International Airport on Monday after smoke was seen coming from the aircraft’s landing gear during taxiing, prompting an emergency response at Nepal’s main international gateway. All 277 passengers and 11 crew members left the aircraft using emergency slides, and the airline said the evacuation was completed safely. The incident briefly disrupted operations at the airport before the aircraft was moved and normal traffic resumed.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said a fire broke out in the aircraft’s right rear tyre and was brought under control before the plane was towed from the runway area. Turkish Airlines said its initial assessment pointed instead to a technical malfunction in a hydraulic pipe and said there was no fire. The differing early accounts left investigators focusing on the precise cause of the smoke as technical teams and airport authorities began reviewing the aircraft after the evacuation.
The aircraft had landed normally before smoke was observed near the landing gear while it was taxiing, according to the airline. Emergency crews responded on the ground and passengers were directed off the jet through emergency exits as the situation unfolded. Turkish Airlines said no injuries were reported during the evacuation and that inspections of the aircraft had begun. The airline also said an additional flight had been planned as it worked to manage the disruption caused by the incident in Kathmandu.
Turkish Airlines Evacuation Disrupts Airport Operations
Tribhuvan International Airport temporarily halted movements on its only runway while responders dealt with the aircraft and secured the operating area. The suspension affected inbound and outbound traffic at the airport, which handles the country’s international passenger flights. Once the aircraft was moved to a safer location and emergency checks were completed, flight operations resumed. The temporary closure underscored the operational impact that a single aircraft incident can have at Tribhuvan International Airport, where runway capacity is tightly managed.
The incident also drew an immediate technical response from Turkish Airlines, which said its teams had started examining the aircraft after passengers and crew were taken off safely. The carrier’s statement focused on a hydraulic issue as the likely source of the smoke seen after landing. Airport authorities in Kathmandu, meanwhile, continued to document the event as part of the official review. The aircraft remained the subject of inspection as authorities worked to establish a confirmed sequence of events from touchdown through evacuation.
Investigation Centers On Landing Gear
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said emergency personnel extinguished the problem area before the aircraft was removed, and officials began examining the landing gear system after the runway was cleared. The review is expected to center on the right side of the aircraft, where smoke and the reported tyre problem were first identified. Turkish Airlines and Nepalese aviation authorities have not reported any serious injuries, and the aircraft’s occupants were taken off the plane without reports of a broader onboard emergency beyond the landing gear incident.
The event left Kathmandu airport coping with short-term disruption but no reported fatalities, and attention quickly shifted to passenger arrangements and the technical condition of the aircraft. Turkish Airlines said it was arranging follow-up travel while inspections continued, and aviation officials in Nepal kept the incident under review as part of standard post-event procedures. With operations restored and the aircraft under examination, the immediate emergency had ended, but the cause of the landing gear smoke remained under official assessment.