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Indian Express
2 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
‘Loud bangs, then the plane started shaking': Shandong Airlines flight makes emergency landing after in-flight malfunction
A Shandong Airlines flight travelling from Qingdao to Shanghai in China was forced to make an emergency landing in Nanjing on Friday after an in-flight engine malfunction, prompting alarm among passengers who reported loud bangs, violent shaking, and a burning odour. The incident has been confirmed by both the airline and local aviation authorities. According to a report by news agency PTI, in a social media post by Shandong Airlines it was informed that flight SC4667 was diverted after the crew handled an 'aircraft malfunction' in accordance with safety procedures, and landed safely at Nanjing Lukou International Airport. All passengers were safely disembarked, and arrangements were made to accommodate them and resume travel on a different aircraft. 'All affected passengers have been properly accommodated, and another aircraft has been dispatched to operate subsequent flights,' the airline said in the post. A user claiming to be onboard the flight described the terrifying moment when the plane, a 13-year-old Boeing 737-85N, began shaking side to side mid-air. In a post quoted by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the passenger wrote: 'There were a few loud bangs, then the plane started shaking side to side by about 10 degrees, with a burnt smell that lasted for five to 10 minutes.' 'The captain then announced the emergency landing in Nanjing. The process was very smooth. Thumbs up to the Shandong Airlines pilots.' The user also shared a photo showing fire trucks and police vehicles deployed at the airport following the safe landing. As compensation, the airline reportedly gave 400 yuan (US$56) to each passenger. According to data from Chinese flight tracker VariFlight, SC4667 had departed Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport at 3:22 pm and was scheduled to arrive at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport by 4:50 pm. However, the flight was diverted and landed in Nanjing at 4:26 pm. The emergency landing adds to a growing list of domestic flight incidents in China in recent months: The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) recently issued a warning, banning non-certified or recalled power banks on flights starting June 29. 'This year, there have been frequent incidents of power banks and other lithium battery products brought by passengers catching fire or emitting smoke on board,' the CAAC said, citing rising aviation safety threats. While Friday's Shandong Airlines emergency landing was not linked to a lithium battery, the recent cluster of incidents has heightened scrutiny of in-flight safety protocols on Chinese carriers. The aircraft involved remains grounded while further inspection and investigation are carried out by Shandong Airlines and aviation authorities.
NBC News
29-01-2025
- NBC News
Chinese travelers cancel Lunar New Year trips to Thailand over safety concerns
Chinese travelers are canceling plans to visit Thailand during the Lunar New Year holiday, as concerns over the kidnapping of actor Wang Xing continue to reverberate through the country. Net booking volume for trips to Thailand fell 15.6% from Jan. 13 to Jan. 20 from the previous week, after news of the rescue of Wang from a scamming compound along the Thai-Myanmar border this month, according to the marketing agency China Trading Desk. The fallout is also extending to other countries in Southeast Asia, with data from the aviation analytics company VariFlight showing Chinese travelers also canceled holiday trips to Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia — albeit to a lesser degree, according to the company's CEO, Subramania Bhatt. 'The biggest decline is in Thailand. The other Southeast Asian countries are, I would say, collateral damage,' said Bhatt. 'A lot of folks plan to travel around the region as a single trip … so some have cancelled trips that originate from these countries too.' During the same week in January, Chinese travelers booked more Lunar New Year trips to other destinations, including Australia (+4.8%), the United Arab Emirates (+4.7%) and South Korea (+3.9%), data showed. Thailand posted an AI-generated video on the government's Facebook page last Wednesday of its prime minister attempting to reassure Chinese tourists that traveling to Thailand is safe. Days earlier, Chinese officials said they were prepared to work with Southeast Asian nations to crack down on cross-border scamming compounds, according to China's State Council. Chinese travelers' reluctance to visit Southeast Asia may be benefitting other destinations, said Yang Lei, analyst at the Hong Kong-based financial services company China Galaxy International. 'Currently, Chinese people are becoming more cautious to go to Thailand and also some other Southeast countries,' she told CNBC's 'Squawk Box Asia' Monday. 'The hot locations for outbound will continue to be Japan [and] South Korea. And for this Chinese New Year, people are also quite willing to go to Australia, New Zealand and also the United States.' Fears about human trafficking The kidnapping of Wang, who was lured to Bangkok for a job opportunity, reignited fears among Chinese travelers to visit Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia. Thailand officials have been working to regain the trust of mainland visitors since the release of the 2023 Chinese blockbuster film 'No More Bets,' which depicted a Chinese couple lured to Southeast Asia for work, which turns out to be a human trafficking scheme. The movie, while fictional, depicted a situation that the United Nations estimates has ensnared hundreds of thousands of people in real life. Many compounds are in the border areas outside of Thailand — in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar — often in special economic zones where there is 'little to no rule of law,' according to the United Nations. The areas, which have been called lawless playgrounds, are also often rife with drugs, wildlife trafficking and other illegal activities. Outbound travel: increasing but 'uneven' Despite the cancellations, parts of Southeast Asia are expected to attract more Chinese tourists this Lunar New Year than in 2019, according to Bhatt. Flight bookings to Singapore are up 14.2% and to Malaysia 6.2% from 2019 levels, according to China Trading Desk's data. South Korea is also expected to see Chinese tourist arrivals fully rebound during the festive period. However, Japan — a top destination for outbound Chinese travelers this Lunar New Year — isn't expected to see a full recovery of holiday visitors from China, with data showing arrivals will still be down 10% from 2019. Outbound travel from China is 'uneven' right now, said Bhatt, who added that while outbound travel from China is picking up, it's still 'way off' to long-haul destinations like Europe and the United States. In addition to safety, geopolitics and costs are also driving Chinese travel sentiment, he said, which is why 'politically neutral' countries, like Singapore and Malaysia, are seeing travelers return faster than other places. 'Travel to Europe is getting more expensive because of Russian airspace closure, so it's costing [Chinese travelers] much more to fly,' he said. Despite weak consumer confidence in a slowing economy, Chinese people are willing to spend on experiences, especially those involving travel, Yang said. 'For the upcoming Chinese New Year, we expect the inbound and outbound travel will maintain very solid gross momentum,' she said. nine billion trips will be taken during the country's 40-day Lunar New Year travel rush, which began on Jan. 14.
