According to the schedule on the airline’s website, flight ZF-4068 on the Phuket-Sochi route was indeed delayed. The video shows the passengers fanning themselves in the heat of the cabin and having difficulty breathing, but the staff is making sure to keep calm.
“This happened while the passengers were already inside and getting ready for their journey – the flight was scheduled for 15:00 local time,” writes the website Žizn.ru. “According to eyewitnesses, smoke was coming from the engine, fortunately the airport staff reacted quickly – the fire brigade and technical services immediately arrived at the scene. Specialists conducted a search and began the discharge of kerosene.”
The Russian airline Azur Air mainly offers charter flights to tourist destinations accessible to Russia even after the imposition of Western sanctions – in addition to Thailand, to Egypt and Turkey. Its planes also fly to Phuket from Moscow, Irkutsk and Khabarovsk. Its fleet consists of American Boeings, specifically this flight was to be served by a 767-3Q8ER machine manufactured in 1991, as the Air Fleets website shows.
The Russian aviation industry has been dying since the fall of the Soviet Union, and airlines rely on Western Boeings and Airbuses. Due to the sanctions after the invasion of Ukraine, however, they have a problem maintaining and repairing them, without Western components, malfunctions and incidents are increasing. However, recently there have been more failures of various types from the Boeing company in the world, in March CEO Dave Calhoun announced his resignation.
In Phuket, more than a year ago, another older Boeing 767 of the same company had an incident – a tire burst during take-off, the Aviation Source News website wrote. whereupon the right engine ignited. The pilots were able to stop in time.
