PUBLISHED : 22 Sep 2025 at 16:41
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An emergency exit door and evacuation slide were accidentally triggered on a Hong Kong Airlines plane after landing in Osaka. (Photo: Handout via South China Morning Post)
The emergency exit door and inflatable evacuation slide of a Hong Kong Airlines plane were triggered “inadvertently” after landing in Osaka, causing no injuries but delaying the return flight for 70 passengers.
The carrier on Monday said it had reported the incident on flight HX612, which landed at Osaka Kansai International Airport at 7.15pm the day before, to the relevant authorities and would cooperate fully with the investigation.
Hong Kong Airlines said the emergency exit door on the right side of the Airbus A321 aircraft had accidentally opened as passengers disembarked, triggering the deployment of the inflatable evacuation slide.
“Initial indications suggest that the incident may have been caused by the inadvertent activation of the door’s operating handle,” the airline said, without stating whether the incident was triggered by travellers or its staff.
“We can confirm that no passengers or crew members sustained any injuries,”
The flight crew notified Kansai Airport authorities and carried out the necessary safety checks in accordance with procedures to confirm that the aircraft could operate its return service safely, Hong Kong Airlines said.
Some 70 passengers had to be rescheduled to take a later flight returning to Hong Kong, according to standard safety protocols.
The carrier apologised for the inconvenience caused, saying it had provided hotel accommodation and necessary assistance to affected passengers.
According to flight-tracking site Flightradar24, a return flight operated by Hong Kong Airlines from Osaka was originally scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong at 11.25pm on Sunday, but was delayed by about 4½ hours.
AloJapan.com