A Russian Superjet 100 passenger plane caught fire while landing at Antalya airport with 89 passengers and six crew members on board, Russian Telegram channels reported late on Nov. 24, posting videos from the Turkish airport.
Eyewitnesses suggested that the impact with the ground during the landing may have damaged fuel tanks, causing aviation kerosene to spill and the left engine to catch fire, which quickly intensified.
According to the airport authorities, all passengers and crew members on board the Sukhoi Superjet 100-95LR operated by Azimut Airlines were safely evacuated. The plane had arrived from the Russian city of Sochi.
This follows an earlier report by Russian outlet Kommersant on Nov. 21 that half of the country's Airbus A320/A321neo fleet had been grounded. Thirty-four of the 66 aircraft are no longer airworthy due to a lack of spare parts crucial for engine maintenance and repairs.