Air Busan A321 Fire Forces Evacuation in South Korea

DALLAS — Today at 10:30 PM local time, an Air Busan (BX) Airbus A321 was engulfed in flames at South Korea's Busan Gimhae International Airport (PUS). The aircraft was preparing for Flight BX-391 to Hong Kong, with 176 people aboard, including 169 passengers, six crew members, and one maintenance engineer.

Initial reports indicate that the fire originated in the rear cabin section under the circumstances and is still under investigation. All occupants successfully evacuated the aircraft using emergency slides, though four individuals sustained minor injuries during the evacuation process.

Airport firefighting teams battled the blaze for approximately 75 minutes before bringing it under control. However, the fire had already caused extensive damage to the aircraft's fuselage, likely rendering the A321 a complete loss.

The Airbus aircraft, registered HL7763, had been in service for 17 years. Before joining BX's fleet, it initially operated with Asiana Airlines (OZ) from 2007 to 2017. While under OZ’s operation, the A321 experienced a tail strike incident in Osaka in 2009.

Air Busan, a low-cost subsidiary of the Asiana Group, currently operates an all-Airbus fleet, including seven A321, eight A321neo, and five A320 jets. The South Korean LCC has been operating since 2008 and transitioned from its original Boeing 737 Classic fleet to an all-Airbus operation in 2016.

The incident at PUS marks BX's first potential hull loss since beginning operations. It comes almost a month after A Jeju Air (7C) Boeing 737-800 aircraft veered off the runway and crashed at Muan International Airport (MWX).

Stay tuned to Airways for any updates from local Busan aviation authorities as they continue to investigate the cause of the fire.

Use NordVPN for fast and secure streaming at home or traveling—no bandwidth or data limits for VPN traffic. Connect up to 10 devices with one account to protect you and your loved ones during your journey. Get 72% off NordVPN's 2-year plan today!