By Tahna Weston
The two aircraft that made emergency landings at the VC Bird International Airport in the space of 12 hours on Thursday were still in Antigua up to presss time yesterday,, an official from the Fire Department confirmed to Observer.
The Air Canada plane and an Amerijet Boeing 767 cargo plane are still being worked on; however, the extent of the mechanical issues was not known by press time.
The Air Canada flight carrying 120 passengers became the second aircraft that made an emergency landing on Thursday, due to issues with its landing gear.
Reports are that the Airbus A319, bound for Toronto, touched down safely at the airport at10:34pm after circling to dump fuel. Officials gave the all clear at 10:48pm, concluding the second full emergency response at the airport that day.
The incident came several hours after the Amerijet cargo plane had made an emergency landing due to problems with its flaps.
That aircraft, carrying four crew members and over 5,000 pounds of jet fuel, landed safely at 10:57am after leaving Miami for St Maarten.
Assistant Commissioner of Police and Fire Chief Vivian Parker said emergency teams were rapidly mobilized for both incidents. The Fire Department was assisted by the police, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS), the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF), and the Red Cross.
Both landings triggered full emergency protocols at the airport. Officials say inspections and investigations were underway to determine the cause of the technical issues that affected both aircraft.
No injuries were reported in either incident, and the Air Canada passengers and Amerijet crew all landing and deplaned safely.
About The Author
