Istanbul-bound Turkish A330 diverts to Kolkata after mid-air engine fire

Dhaka: A Turkish Airlines Airbus A330 operating a regular flight from Kathmandu to Istanbul made an emergency diversion to Kolkata today, February 4, after a fire broke out in one of its engines.

According to India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation, the incident involved flight TK727, which departed Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu at 13:28 local time (LT) bound for Istanbul Airport.

Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 shows the aircraft, an Airbus A330-303 registered as TC-LNG, initially followed its planned westbound route before altering course shortly after takeoff.

The ministry said the flight crew reported a fire in the right engine during the climb. Following standard safety procedures, the affected engine was shut down, and the crew decided to divert to Kolkata Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

There were 236 people on board, including 225 passengers and 11 crew members.

Despite the emergency, the aircraft had sufficient fuel that allowed the pilots to carry out a controlled and stable diversion.

Gyanendra Bhul, deputy spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, said the pilot promptly informed Kathmandu air traffic control after detecting the malfunction and secured the engine before proceeding toward India.

Airport authorities in Kolkata declared a full emergency as the aircraft approached. The A330 landed safely at 15:03 LT, and emergency services were on standby as a precaution.

Officials confirmed no injuries were reported among passengers or crew, and the situation was handled in accordance with established aviation safety protocols.