An empty plane being towed away from a terminal at a German airport was severely damaged when the truck moving it caught fire.
According to The Sun, a Star Alliance operated Airbus A340-300 was being towed away from a terminal at Frankfurt Airport Monday morning at around 8 a.m. local time when the vehicle moving the plane burst into flames under the cockpit.
The plane is owned by Lufthansa, and a spokesperson for the airline revealed that around 10 people were taken to local hospitals due to smoke inhalation. The aircraft was being prepared for a flight to Philadelphia.
Travelers at the Frankfurt Airport shared images of the fire on social media:
Airplane on fire at Frankfurt airport pic.twitter.com/SL7XskDvft
— Mark Hellemans (@markhellemans) June 11, 2018
Lufthansa Airbus A340-300 (D-AIFA) sustained unknown heat damage whilst under tow at Frankfurt Airport (EDDF) when the connected tug caught fire below it. The reason for the fire is unknown yet. pic.twitter.com/vADKnxuwdE
— JACDEC (@JacdecNew) June 11, 2018
Airline officials said the plane would have to be inspected for damage, and passengers scheduled to fly to the United States Monday would make the journey using a reserve aircraft.
Since the flight was scheduled to depart in the afternoon, the fire caused no delays or cancellations at the airport.