Emirates Airline plane crash-lands at Dubai airport; all 275 aboard safe

An Emirates Airline flight coming from India made an emergency landing at Dubai International Airport on Wednesday, the Dubai government media office said on its official Twitter account, adding that there were no reported casualties yet. Emirates confirmed that 282 passengers and 18 crew on board, in a statement posted to its official Facebook page. Emirates can confirm that today, 3rd August 2016, flight EK521 travelling from Trivandrum International Airport in Thiruvananthapuram, India to Dubai has been involved in an accident at Dubai International Airport. There were 275 passengers and crew on board. Our main priority at this time is the safety and wellbeing of all involved and full co-operation is being extended to the authorities and emergency services managing the situation, the statement read. Footage on social media and re-posted by Dubai-based Gulf News showed smoke billowing from the aircraft. All passengers were reportedly escorted to safety. At this time, Al Arabiya English cannot independently verify the footage. A company representative reached by Al Arabiya English said they could not comment further on the accident, but that all passengers and crew are safe. Al Arabiya News Channel correspondent in Dubai Abdullah Al-Muttawa said that all flights were “diverted either to Maktoum International Airport or Sharjah International Airport.” He added: “Authorities dispatched emergency personnel on the ground and were able to evacuate all passengers on board to safety and there are no reports of injuries or casualties up until now. Muttawa also said that there were reports of smoke onboard before the plane made an emergency landing. Meanwhile, all departure flights from Dubai international airport were delayed until further notice, Dubai authorities said. Commenting on the incident, Kuwait-based former pilot Sami al-Nusuf, told Al Arabiya: “Emirates airlines has proven itself from past incidents in handling high pressure situations. Its record has been clean so far.” When asked how it was possible to promptly evacuate so many people, Nusuf said: “What happens is that multiple trials and scenarios are practiced by the cabin crew before they are allowed to take flights. They are trained both in getting passengers out within 90 seconds and in handling widespread panic.” The Twitter account of live air traffic monitor Flightradar24 said takeoffs and landings at Dubai had been suspended because of the incident, adding that the plane involved was a Boeing 777-300 A6-EMW. Agencies