A Turkish Airlines wide-body aircraft THY727 flying from Kathmandu to Istanbul was forced to divert to Kolkata on Wednesday afternoon after the crew reported a fire in one of its engines while cruising over Indian airspace, aviation authorities confirmed.
The incident triggered swift emergency action, but the aircraft landed safely with all passengers and crew unharmed.
Emergency Declared Mid-Air Over Indian Airspace
Flight THY727, operated using an Airbus A330-300, raised a pan-pan call at around 1:38 pm, alerting air traffic control about a fire in the right engine. The crew immediately requested permission to divert to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata.
Following the distress call, Kolkata Air Traffic Control activated full emergency protocols and coordinated a priority landing for the aircraft.
Fire Brought Under Control Before Landing
According to official communication from air traffic services, the pilots successfully contained the engine fire by 1:51 pm. As a precautionary measure, the affected engine was shut down, and the aircraft continued its descent toward Kolkata on a single engine.
Aviation officials noted that the aircraft had sufficient fuel reserves—nearly eight hours of endurance—ensuring a controlled and safe diversion.
Safe Landing With Emergency Services on Standby
The aircraft touched down safely at 2:31 pm, with 236 people onboard, including passengers and crew members.
Fire tenders, rescue teams, and medical units were positioned along the runway in line with standard safety procedures for engine-related emergencies. However, no evacuation was required, and no injuries were reported.
DGCA Monitoring the Incident
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken note of the incident and is expected to review technical details related to the engine malfunction. Further inspection of the aircraft will be carried out before it is cleared for future operations.
Turkish Airlines has not issued a detailed statement yet but confirmed that passenger safety remained the airline’s top priority throughout the incident.