February 16, 2025
Air Busan A321 Destroyed by Fire, Triggering Emergency Evacuation in Busan, South Korea

Air Busan A321 Destroyed by Fire, Triggering Emergency Evacuation in Busan, South Korea

An Air Busan Airbus A321-200 preparing for departure at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, caught fire on Tuesday evening. The fire originated in the tail section of the aircraft.
An Air Busana A321 on fire at Busan airport.
Photo via X (original user unknown)

An Air Busan Airbus A321-200 has destroyed by fire at the gate at Busan-Gimhae Airport, South Korea.

The narrowbody A321 was preparing for departure as flight BX391 to Hong Kong when a fire broke out aboard the aircraft. The fire was reported to have started in the rear fuselage after boarding, which subsequently consumed the entire passenger cabin.

Air Busan A321 Destroyed by Fire


All 176 passengers and crew managed to escape the burning aircraft via emergency slides. Minor injuries were reported among some passengers during the evacuation process.  

Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene, but the fire caused significant damage to the aircraft. The fire was finally extinguished approximately 75 minutes after in broke out in the rear of the parked aircraft.

Video Credit: YTN

Video footage of the ground accident shows the top section of the fuselage was engulfed and severely burned as the fire took hold. A passenger seated in the rear of the passenger cabin reported hearing a “cracking” sound from the luggage rack before the appearance of smoke. A flight attendant directed passengers to remain seated and attended with a portable fire extinguisher.

Aircraft Details


The aircraft involved in the Busan-Gimhae Airport fire was an Airbus A321-200, registered HL-7763. This is a 17.3 year old narrowbody aircraft belonging to the carrier Air Busan. It has been in operational service with the airline since 1 June 2017.

lasta29, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Prior to its present service it was operated by Asiana Airlines since its initial delivery from the factory in 13 November 2007.

The aircraft was involved in a prior incident on 28 October 2009 at Kansai International Airport (KIX). In that incident, the aircraft sustained a tail strike during the landing.

Photo via X (original user unknown)

The aircraft has now been written off as a result of the fire. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Airbus acknowledged the accident in a brief post to their social media channels, saying: “We confirm that an Airbus A321 aircraft operated by Air Busan caught fire on the ground. We are in contact with the airline and will provide full assistance to the investigation authorities.”

This incident comes as South Korea’s transportation ministry is in the process of investigating the tragic crash of a Jeju Air passenger jet at a different airport.

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