JetBlue Makes Emergency Landing in Newark After Engine Failure

An engine failure forced a JetBlue Airways flight traveling from New Jersey to Florida to make an emergency landing at Newark Liberty International Airport. The airline reported smoke in the cabin of the Airbus A320 shortly after takeoff. Passengers and crew members exited using evacuation slides.

Engine Failure

Traffic was temporarily disrupted at Newark Liberty International Airport on Wednesday after the JetBlue flight suffered an engine failure during takeoff.

FlightRadar24 data showed that JetBlue Flight 543 departed from Newark Liberty International Airport at 5:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday. The aircraft was later seen flying in a circular loop above Newark Liberty International Airport. It returned approximately 20 minutes later.

The Port Authority said in a statement, “The plane landed safely with no injuries to report at this time.” It added, “Flight operations are suspended while the aircraft is removed from the taxiway.”

JetBlue confirmed the incident, stating that the plane returned to Newark shortly after takeoff. “The aircraft landed safely, and customers and crew members evacuated using the aircraft’s slides,” the airline said. 

It added, “Safety is JetBlue’s top priority. We are focused on supporting our customers and crew members and will work closely with the appropriate federal authorities to investigate what occurred.”

Occurrences of Emergency Landings

In recent years, there have been several recorded cases of flights in the US being forced to make emergency landings due to smoke. In November, a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong returned to SFO. The airline said that its flight crew noticed a “burning rubber smell in the cabin.” The United flight returned to address the issue. 

Last February, a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Columbia, South Carolina returned just 10 minutes into its flight. Communication between air traffic control and Delta’s pilot was captured with the pilot saying, “Got smoke in the cabin and need to plan a return back. Have the fire trucks roll for us, please.”

In October 2024, a Frontier Airlines flight from San Diego caught fire after landing in Las Vegas.