Azur Air flight lands safely in China after distress signal UPDATED

Azur Air flight ZF-2998 from Phuket to Barnaul has safely landed at Lanzhou Airport, China, following a mid-air distress signal, a spokesperson for the airline said.

According to the spokesperson, the landing was carried out normally, and all passengers and crew on board were unharmed, Caliber.Az reports.

Specialists are set to assess the aircraft’s technical condition to determine the cause of the emergency landing.

12:59

Boeing 757 flight ZF-2998 from Phuket to Barnaul is making an unscheduled landing at Lanzhou Airport, China, and is currently in a holding pattern, Azur Air confirmed.

“The crew is fully controlling the flight parameters and following all procedures necessary to prepare for landing,” the airline said, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

Azur Air added that it is in contact with Russian aviation authorities and the company’s representative in China.

The plane is currently making its sixth circuit over Lanzhou Airport as the pilot burns fuel to prepare for the emergency landing. There are 238 passengers on board.

The flight departed from Phuket to Barnaul over four hours ago, but issued a distress signal midway.

11:30

A Boeing 757 operated by Azur Air, flying from Phuket to Barnaul (registration RA-73071), declared an emergency while passing over Chinese airspace.

According to Flightradar24, the emergency signal was activated at an altitude of approximately 6.6 kilometres, Caliber.Az reports.

The aircraft is currently descending, and the reasons for the crew triggering the emergency code remain unknown.

By Jeyhun Aghazada