Hong Kong International Airport: Runway closed after plane's tyre bursts when making emergency return causing possible flight delays and cancellations

A runway at Hong Kong’s Airport has been forced to close this morning (Monday 17 June) after a cargo plane’s tyre burst when making an emergency return. It has left one of the airport’s two runways out of operation.

Travellers using Hong Kong’s Airport have been advised to check the latest flight information amid possible delays. A spokesperson from the Airport Authority said: “At about 7.30am, a cargo plane that had to make an emergency return burst a tyre upon landing. The plane is now on the north runway, which is expected to be out of service for the next few hours.

“The airport will operate on a single runway and flights scheduled in the morning are expected to be affected. Passengers are advised to refer to the latest flight information.”

Flight tracking platform Flightradar24 showed a 66-minute average delay to departures. The airport had also scored a maximum 5.0 on the platform’s “disruption index,” indicating “major problems with long delays and several flights cancelled.” 

However, arrivals were less affected. The reason why the aircraft made an emergency return back to Hong Kong Airport remains unclear.