16-06-2025
Smoke scare on Saudia Haj flight, hydraulic leak triggers emergency at Lucknow airport
Lucknow: Smoke was detected from the wheel set of an Airbus A300-343 aircraft of Saudia airline after it touched down at Lucknow's Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport from Jeddah on humid Sunday morning.
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As the flight carrying 289 passengers, mostly Haj pilgrims, and 12 crew members headed toward the terminal for taxying, a ground handling crew noticed wisps of smoke curling from the left-side wheels.
The Airport Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) team sprang into action, red lights flashing as they swarmed the aircraft, still taxying toward the gate. With Saudia's crew, they doused the smoke, averting an untoward situation.
Technical assessment identified a hydraulic fluid leak in the landing gear system, a common issue affecting older aircraft amidst increased global focus on airline maintenance standards.
Based on available data in the public domain, the aircraft is approximately 15 years old.
"The aircraft has been grounded and is expected to take off for Jeddah by Tuesday morning after thorough inspections by engineers and technicians," said a source.
