Port Authority

Newark Airport Reopens After Smoke in Cargo Hold Forces Aircraft Emergency Landing

What to Know

  • Air Transat Flight 442 made an emergency landing at Newark Airport Saturday morning
  • The plane reported smoke in the cargo hold; 189 passengers were evacuated via chutes
  • Flights in and out resumed with major nationwide delays just before 10 a.m.

All runways were temporarily closed at Newark Airport Saturday morning after a plane made an emergency landing for smoke in the cargo hold.

A Port Authority spokesman said an Air Transat flight from Canada to Florida made an emergency landing at the airport due to reports of smoke in the aircraft.

Chutes were deployed to get passengers off after landing.

Air Transat identified the plane, a Boeing 737, as Flight 442 from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale. 

A total of 189 people were evacuated. Two minor injuries were reported, including a panic attack, the Port Authority spokesman said.

The total closure last more than a half-hour and caused more than 140 delays for incoming and outgoing flights, according to FlightAware data.

Planes that were diverted to other airports have now resumed routes to Newark, according to data posted by airlines in the terminals. The FAA noted on its website that there was a departure backlog at the airport because of the emergency. 

No fire was found and the cause of the smoke remains under investigation, the Port Authority said.

"Our 189 passengers' safety is our top priority and they were evacuated promptly upon landing," said Debbie Cabana, Air Transat marketing director. Another aircraft was to be sent to Newark to operate the flight to Fort Lauderdale, she said.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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