On January 28, 2025, panic struck Gimhae International Airport in Busan when Air Busan Flight 391, an Airbus A321 bound for Seoul, caught fire moments before takeoff. The blaze, which erupted in the aircraft’s rear section around 10:15 a.m., quickly filled the cabin with smoke and forced an emergency evacuation on the runway.
On board were 169 passengers and 7 crew. As alarms blared and smoke thickened, the pilots halted takeoff and ordered evacuation. Crew members opened emergency exits and deployed slides, urging passengers to leave everything behind. Miraculously, all 176 people escaped the burning jet, though 27 sustained minor injuries from smoke inhalation and scrapes. Firefighters arrived within minutes, but despite their efforts, the plane was destroyed.
Investigators are focusing on the auxiliary power unit near the aircraft’s tail as a possible source of the fire. Meanwhile, Gimhae Airport suspended operations temporarily, causing widespread delays.
Passengers later described the horror of choking smoke and visible flames, while also praising the crew’s calm leadership. Experts note that the survival of all aboard underscores the life-saving importance of airline safety training.
