Emirates plane flies for 14 hours with hole in side from Dubai to Australia

In what is being labelled as ‘one in a million case’, an Emirates plane flew for nearly 14 hours with a large hole in its side. Passengers that embarked on the ill-fated flight from Dubai to Brisbane, Australia were shocked to see a giant hole on the side of the aircraft as they started their journey on July 1. To their surprise, the flight still somehow continued flying despite the damage to the aircraft. Emirates Airlines issued a statement later clarifying that the hole was created after one of the Airbus A380’s 22 tyres burst in while the plane was in the sky. But the plane EK430, said the airlines firm, managed to complete its journey as planned.

Incident 'highly unusual'

Aviation expert Dr Johannes Boroh, a former commercial pilot and senior lecturer in aviation studies at London’s Kingston University told Euronews Travel that the incident was "highly unusual." “It’s a one in a million case probably. It’s something that we don't see every day," she iterated. A passenger who was onboard the Emirates aircraft named only as Patrick told Australia’s Courier Mail that just 45 minutes into the flight, he "alarming noise." 

“There was a loud bang and I felt it through the floor as well. The cabin crew remained calm, stopped the food service and got on the phone and checked the wings, engines," said Patrick. 

It is learnt that the crew asked the air traffic controllers for the emergency services on landing, as they were aware of the damage. While some commenters on social media expressed astonishment about how safely the plane continued despite an accident, others questioned why the crew decided to take the risk even after detecting a fault. Emirates meanwhile emphasized that the pilots at no point have any impact on the fuselage, frame or structure of the aircraft, and therefore there the flight continued. the dent was not made in the compartment where the air is pressurised, the company elaborated.