FlyArystan Airbus jet catches fire at Almaty airport
A passenger jet operated by Kazakhstan’s low-cost carrier FlyArystan caught fire during scheduled maintenance at Almaty International Airport on 28 August, injuring one ground staff member.
Air Astana Group, FlyArystan’s mother company, confirmed the incident, describing it as a workplace accident involving a «localised blaze.»
«During the [maintenance] works, a localised fire broke out and was promptly extinguished by the airport’s emergency services,» the company said.
The injured employee in question received medical attention and was later released from hospital, according to another statement quoted by Kazinform. Footage of the incident emerged on social media, purportedly showing a plume of smoke coming out from a FlyArystan’s A320s parked at the apron.
Read more: Kazakhstan investigates near collision involving two airlines
A320 taken out of service
The aircraft has been temporarily grounded while specialists assess the damage and carry out repairs. Air Astana Group and Almaty airport are investigating what caused the fire.
The company did not identify the aircraft or disclose the extent of the damage. It also gave no immediate indication of whether the grounding would affect FlyArystan’s schedule.
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FlyArystan is the low-cost airline owned by Air Astana Group. Its fleet consists entirely of Airbus A320-family aircraft, although the model involved in Friday’s incident has not been confirmed.
