Flights suspended at Halifax airport after airplane landing incident

An Air Canada Express flight operated by Pal Airlines skidded off the runway Saturday night after catching fire at Halifax Stanfield International Airport is seen on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press via AP)

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating an incident involving a plane at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport, which one passenger described as a rough landing that sparked flames.

Nikki Valentine, who was on the PAL Airlines flight, said passengers felt a “massive rumble” upon landing Saturday night.

“The cabin tilted, we saw sparks and then flames and then smoke started getting sucked into the cabin,” Valentine said Sunday.

Airport spokesperson Tiffany Chase said an Air Canada Express flight operated by PAL Airlines, arriving from St. John’s, Newfoundland, experienced an incident upon landing at approximately 9:30 p.m.

Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick said the Bombardier Q400 plane experienced a “suspected landing gear issue” after arrival and was unable to reach the terminal.

An aircraft that skidded off the runway Saturday night after catching fire at Halifax Stanfield International Airport is seen on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press via AP)

Fitzpatrick said the crew and 73 passengers were off-loaded by bus and nobody on board was injured.

Valentine said she is “especially thankful the pilot was able to get ahold of the situation very fast.”

The incident temporarily halted flight activity at the airport.

As of Sunday afternoon, Valentine and other passengers were still without the bags they were instructed to leave on the plane. Valentine said she contacted Air Canada, who told her that it could be up to three more days before their bags are returned as the investigation into the incident continues.

“A lot of people have things like house keys or wallets they needed and couldn’t get,” she said.

“It’s all proper procedure, and I’d rather the inconvenience (of missing bags) than if anything bad had happened, of course, but it’s still tough.”