An Emirates Boeing 777 traveling from Thiruvananthapuram, India, to Dubai crash-landed at Dubai International Airport on Wednesday, with all 300 people on board surviving the incident. The airline’s chairman and CEO, Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, confirmed that one firefighter died while responding to the emergency and that 10 people were hospitalized after the event.
Emirates stated that the 282 passengers and 18 crew members were safe and accounted for following the crash-landing of Flight EK521 at approximately 12:45 p.m. local time. The aircraft was approaching Dubai International Airport, the region’s busiest hub, when the incident occurred. Social media users reported seeing smoke rising from the runway, and images showed the plane on fire after the landing.
A passenger, Iype Vallikadan, told the Associated Press that the pilot had announced a problem with the landing gear during the approach and informed the cabin that an emergency landing would be performed. After touchdown, cabin crew opened all emergency exits, and the full evacuation of passengers and crew was completed within minutes, according to reports.
Among the passengers were six U.S. citizens, 226 from India, 24 from Britain, 11 from the United Arab Emirates, six from Saudi Arabia, five from Turkey, and four from Ireland. Two passengers each came from Australia, Brazil, Germany, Malaysia, and Thailand, while one each was from Croatia, Egypt, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lebanon, the Philippines, South Africa, Switzerland, and Tunisia.
Emirates later noted indications of wind shear—a sudden downdraft—at the airport during the aircraft’s descent, though it remained unclear whether this contributed to the incident. The airline provided no further details on the cause.
Boeing said a technical team stands ready to assist investigators, working alongside the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. Saif Mohamed Al Suwaidi, director general of Dubai’s General Civil Aviation Authority, stated that an investigation team had been activated in coordination with Emirates and Dubai Airport. “Our primary concern at this moment is the safety and well-being of all passengers and cabin crew,” he said.
Founded in 1985, Emirates has maintained a strong safety record. Dubai International Airport handled 78 million passengers the previous year. The airport reported that other flights faced delays of roughly six hours before operations resumed shortly before 7 p.m. local time.
The incident marks a rare crash-landing for the carrier, which is the largest airline in the Middle East. Authorities continue to examine the circumstances, including the reported landing-gear issue and possible weather factors, as the investigation proceeds.
