Engine fire on Beirut-bound flight airport prompts emergency response

BAGHDAD — A fire broke out in one of the engines of a Beirut-bound passenger plane at Baghdad International Airport on Monday, prompting emergency crews to intervene before takeoff, according to a source at the airport.

The source said the incident involved a Ur Airlines aircraft carrying Lebanese passengers and was caused by a technical malfunction in one of the engines. Fire crews extinguished the flames before the plane departed.

Iraq’s Ministry of Transport confirmed the incident and said all passengers were safe.

“In line with the highest levels of safety and security, the Iraqi Airports Authority took the necessary steps to preserve the lives of travelers after one of Ur Airlines’s planes experienced a technical malfunction in one of its engines at Baghdad International Airport just before takeoff to Beirut,” ministry spokesperson Mutham Al-Safi said in a statement.

The plane was towed from the runway and replaced with a different aircraft to complete the scheduled flight, Al-Safi said, adding that other flight operations were not affected

Al-Safi also called on all certified air carriers in Iraq to adhere strictly to safety protocols, saying the response to Monday’s incident demonstrated the readiness of Iraq’s civil aviation teams.

No injuries were reported.