An Air Canada flight bound for Paris with nearly 400 passengers on board had to return to Toronto Pearson International Airport after experiencing an engine issue shortly after takeoff on Wednesday night.
The incident involved Air Canada flight AC872, which departed Toronto Pearson International Airport but encountered problems that necessitated its return. In response to the incident, Air Canada issued a statement to CP24 confirming the situation.
“After the aircraft landed, it was inspected by airport response vehicles as per normal operating processes, and it taxied to the gate on its own,” Air Canada stated. “The aircraft will be taken out of service for further evaluation by our maintenance and engineering professionals.”
The Boeing 777 aircraft had 389 passengers on board at the time of the incident. Air Canada assured that arrangements were being made to accommodate the passengers on another flight departing Toronto later the same night.
Officials at Toronto Pearson International Airport confirmed that the plane landed safely and was met by the fire department as a precautionary measure. The safety protocols were followed to ensure the well-being of all passengers and crew.
According to flight tracking service FlightAware, the flight left the gate at 8:46 p.m. and returned to Pearson Airport at 9:50 p.m. The exact nature of the engine issue that prompted the return has not been disclosed by the airline or authorities.
Air Canada stated that it will conduct a thorough evaluation of the aircraft to determine the cause of the issue and ensure the continued safety of its fleet.
As of recently Air Canada struggled to maintain its fleet with multiple airplane incidents occurring, dealing with a work contract dispute with its pilots and falling to the bottom of the list of North American airlines when it comes to customer satisfaction.