Saudia flight catches fire while landing at Peshawar airport; ‘all guests and crew evacuated’

A Saudia aircraft from Riyadh to Peshawar caught fire after landing at Peshawar’s airport in Pakistan on Thursday.

Upon landing at Peshawar's Bacha Khan International Airport, air traffic controllers witnessed fire and smoke on the left-hand side of the landing gear.

Soon, the controller informed the pilot and rescue teams, after which fire vehicles extinguished the flames.

No casualties were reported in the incident, and authorities safely evacuated all 276 passengers and 21 crew members. Video footage showed passengers disembarking the aircraft through the emergency slides.

According to Samaa TV, a few passengers with minor injuries were administered first aid.

In a statement, Saudia said that the aircraft was immediately stopped, and the relevant authorities were notified.

“Saudia clarifies that its aircraft, flying from Riyadh to Peshawar on flight SV792, experienced smoke emanating from one of the tyres during landing at Peshawar International Airport in Pakistan. The aircraft was immediately stopped, and the relevant authorities were notified. All guests and crew were safely evacuated through the evacuation slide,” reported ANI, quoting Saudia.

The airline said that the aircraft is now undergoing technical evaluation by specialists.

According to Bloomberg, the aircraft was a seven-year-old Airbus A330-300.

“The fire tenders acted in time and immediately controlled the fire in the landing gear, saving the aircraft from a major accident,” DAWN quoted Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesperson Saifullah.

The airport is operational, and all flights will continue as per their schedules, added DAWN, quoting Peshawar airport officials.

In June of this year, PTI reported that the Saudia Group was keen to increase the number of flights connecting Saudi Arabia and India and provide Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services to Indian carriers.

Saudia currently operates 54 weekly flights connecting seven destinations in India, including Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad.