After a tire ruptured and damaged its exterior, an Emirates passenger jet flew for over 14 hours with a big hole in its side.
According to sources, the passengers heard a loud bang 45 minutes after the Airbus A380-800 left Dubai for Brisbane on Friday.
The pilot instantly contacted the Brisbane airport requesting to meet them for emergency services, thinking a tire had blown up.
After landing, the engineers discovered a large hole on the plane’s side.
An Emirates spokesperson said the aircraft experienced a technical failure when one of its 22 tires ruptured during the journey. Further causing “damage to a small portion of the aerodynamic fairing, an outer panel or the skin of the aircraft.”
The spokesperson added, “At no point did it have any impact on the fuselage, frame, or structure of the aircraft. The aircraft landed safely in Brisbane, and all passengers disembarked as scheduled.”
According to the airline, the fairing’s entirely replaced, checked, and cleared by their engineers, Airbus, and all suitable authorities.
On Saturday, the jet returned to Dubai, as reported by the flight tracking services FlightAware and FlightRadar.
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