Japanese plane evacuated after smoke fills cabin
Tokyo, May 21: Passengers on board the All Nippon Airways' (ANA) Boeing 767 aircraft were evacuated at a Japanese airport prior to its departure on Monday after the plane's cabin was filled with smoke.
Minutes after the aircraft's doors had been closed, 137 passengers who had boarded Flight 809 -- scheduled to depart from Narita airport to Hong Kong -- had to be evacuated, Xinhua news agency reported.
"As soon as the plane's doors closed, smoke came billowing out of the air conditioner and the inside of the plane quickly became filled with white smoke," a passenger was quoted as saying.
"There was a smell of burning machinery, so I covered my nose and mouth with a handkerchief," he added.
At least four of those evacuated back to the terminal at 10 a.m., complained about feeling ill after inhaling smoke but no one was hospitalised, an official said.
Japanese Tourism Ministry said there was no sign of fire but upon probe of the grounded plane, an oil leakage was found that had occurred in the auxiliary engine at the rear of the plane.
An ANA official said the airline was also conducting their own investigation.
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Indigo crisis: Shivakumar urges Centre to act immediately, bring situation under control
Bengaluru (PTI): With large scale flight cancellations by Indigo airlines leaving passengers stranded, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday urged the Centre to act immediately and bring the situation under control.
He called the IndiGo fiasco a the direct result of the govt's monopoly model.
Taking to social media platform 'X', Shivakumar said India is witnessing the worst aviation meltdown in its history. "Thousands of flights cancelled - leaving our people stranded everywhere".
"The IndiGo fiasco is the direct result of the govt's monopoly model. And as always, it is ordinary Indians who are paying the price," he said.
Shivakumar said that the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, which is India's 3rd busiest airport with nearly 40 million travellers a year, is in complete chaos.
"This is hurting families, businesses and our national reputation. I urge the Union Government to act immediately and bring this situation under control. Our people deserve better," he added.
Domestic carrier IndiGo cancelled over 800 flights on Saturday, the fifth day of the ongoing crisis, even as the government imposed a cap on airfares and directed the airline to process all refunds by Sunday evening.
