Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jul 03, 2025

Hole in airborne Emirates plane 1 in a million, says aviation expert

Hole in airborne Emirates plane 1 in a million, says aviation expert

A plane that flew for 14 hours with a large hole in its side is a ‘one in a million case’, according to one aviation expert.
Passengers on the Emirates flight from Dubai to Brisbane were shocked to see the damage when they disembarked on Friday 1 July.The airline says the hole was created when one of the Airbus A380’s 22 tires burst shortly after take-off. No passengers were injured, and flight EK430 was able to complete its journey as planned.

The incident is highly unusual, Dr Johannes Boroh, a former commercial pilot and senior lecturer in aviation studies at London’s Kingston University tells Euronews Travel.

“It’s a one in a million case probably. It’s something that we don't see every day.”

One passenger from the flight, called Patrick, told Australia’s Courier Mail that he heard an alarming noise around 45 minutes into the flight.

“There was a loud bang and I felt it through the floor as well.”

“There was a loud bang and I felt it through the floor as well,” he said. “The cabin crew remained calm, stopped the food service and got on the phone and checked the wings, engines.”

On approach to Brisbane Airport, the crew informed air traffic controllers that they would need emergency services on landing, the Aviation Herald - which covers aviation incidents - reports.

Why did the Emirates flight continue after the bang?

It’s the kind of incident to send shivers down the spine of a nervous flier. Some commenters on social media have even questioned why the crew decided to press on after detecting a fault.

But from a pilot’s perspective, Dr Boroh explains, if there are no ‘indications’ showing up on the system then they can’t do much.

The damage occurred to part of the plane’s aerodynamic fairing - the outer panel or ‘skin’ of the aircraft.

“At no point did it have any impact on the fuselage, frame or structure of the aircraft,” Emirates stated.

It would have been a different story had the dent been made in the compartment where air is pressurized.

“If you hear a loud bang as a pilot, first things first the cabin crew will stop and inspect, taking a look outside the aircraft,” says Dr Boroh. In this case, “Of course [they couldn’t] see anything because the hole was underneath them.”

There are no cameras trained on this part of the plane, and no sensors to check for holes. With visual checks and indicators showing no issues, the pilots didn’t have cause to be overly concerned, he adds.

A third check they are likely to have made is contacting Dubai Airport to see if any part of the plane was lost during take-off. But reports indicate the runway was clear of debris.

Passengers would have experienced a noisier flight than normal, but were not in any danger according to the aviation academic. He draws a stark contrast with an Aloha Airlines Flight in 1988, when an explosive decompression tore the roof and sides from the fuselage, killing one flight attendant.

The tragic incident changed the way Boeing 737s were made, with an extra outer layer of skin added, and led to tighter safety checks.

In response to Friday’s "technical fault", Emirates adds, "The fairing has been completely replaced, checked and cleared by engineers, Airbus and all relevant authorities.

“The safety of our passengers and crew has always been our top priority.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
×