A British Airways Airbus A320 had a lucky escape after a set of mobile steps adjacent to the aircraft caught fire at London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) on June 24, 2024.
The plane (registered as G-EUYO) had arrived from Athens, Greece at 17:14 local time and was sitting on a stand at the airport’s Terminal 5 when the fire broke out on what was the hottest day of 2024 so far in the UK, with the temperature at the airport reaching 28 degrees Celsius (82.4 degrees Fahrenheit).
The set of ground steps was of the vehicle-based type and images from the scene posted on social media appear to show the cab of the vehicle engulfed in flames. The airport fire and rescue service attended and managed to extinguish the blaze before it spread to the aircraft.
A spokesperson for the airport authority later confirmed that there was no one onboard the aircraft at the time of the fire and consequently no one had been injured as a result of the incident.
The aircraft has since been withdrawn from service and remains on the ground at the airport awaiting detailed inspection. According to ch-aviation, the plane involved is eleven years old, having first been delivered to British Airways in June 2013.
In May 2024, a Delta Air Lines A321neo aircraft caught fire at Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA), prompting full evacuation of all passengers onboard onto the tarmac. The incident occurred on the evening of May 6, 2024, when Flight DL604 had just arrived from Cancun International Airport (CUN) and the aircraft had reached the gate.
When the terminal’s electrical network was plugged into the aircraft, it generated sparks and eventually burst into flames. No one was injured as a result of this incident after the crew ordered an immediate evacuation of the aircraft.