Halifax airport runway reopens after plane caught fire upon landing

By The Canadian Press on December 30, 2024.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating after passengers reported seeing flames coming from the wing of a plane that landed hard in Halifax as shown in this photo provided by passenger Nikki Valentine. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Nikki Valentine *MANDATORY CREDIT*

HALIFAX – The plane that caught fire upon landing at Halifax’s airport over the weekend has been removed, and the runway has reopened.

A spokesperson with the Halifax Stanfield International Airport says the runway reopened at 10:15 a.m., leaving both of the airport’s runways available for regular flights.

An Air Canada Express flight operated by the regional carrier PAL Airlines, arriving from St. John’s, N.L., experienced a rough landing at approximately 9:30 p.m. Saturday night.

A passenger on the aircraft described feeling a “massive rumble” upon touching down and says sparks and flames were shooting out from under the wing of the plane.

Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick said late Saturday that the plane experienced a “suspected landing gear issue” after arrival and was unable to reach the terminal.

Fitzpatrick said the crew and 73 passengers were off-loaded by bus and nobody on board was injured.

The incident temporarily halted flights at the airport and is being investigated by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.