Emergency exit, slide of Hong Kong Airlines plane triggered after landing in Osaka
Door and evacuation slide accidentally opened as travellers disembarked, causing no injuries but delaying return flight for 70 passengers
The emergency exit door and inflatable evacuation slide of a Hong Kong Airlines plane were triggered “inadvertently” after landing in Osaka on Sunday, causing no injuries but delaying the return flight for 70 passengers.
The Civil Aviation Department said in a response to the Post that it had requested Hong Kong Airlines to submit a report regarding the incident, and would continue to follow up with the airline.
The carrier said on Monday it had reported the incident on flight HX612, which landed at Osaka Kansai International Airport at 7.15pm the day before, to the relevant authorities and would cooperate fully with the investigation.
Hong Kong Airlines said the emergency exit door on the right side of the Airbus A321 aircraft had accidentally opened as passengers disembarked, triggering the deployment of the inflatable evacuation slide.
“Initial indications suggest that the incident may have been caused by the inadvertent activation of the door’s operating handle,” the airline said, without stating whether the incident was triggered by travellers or its staff.
“We can confirm that no passengers or crew members sustained any injuries.”