TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Cathay Pacific flight aborted take off in Kaohsiung on Saturday (Aug. 31) after a loud bang and what appeared to be a fire occurred in one of the aircraft’s engines.
The Kaohsiung International Airport said that passengers on the flight originally bound for Hong Kong were returned safely to the terminal after the incident, per LTN. It said 234 passengers aboard were transferred to another flight shortly after and that there were no injuries.
A video posted on Facebook of the incident shows the airplane suddenly decelerate after a bang is heard and a flash of flame is seen coming out of one of its engines. The aircraft veers off course slightly before correcting and taxiing back to the terminal.
According to flightradar24, the airplane affected was an Airbus A330-343. The aircraft spent 23 minutes on the tarmac after departing from and returning to the terminal.
A Cathay Pacific spokesperson said the flight was aborted “due to an engine technical problem”, per the South China Morning Post. The spokesperson apologized for the inconvenience that may have been caused by the incident, and said safety is a priority for the airline.