Two killed after cargo plane skids off runway into sea at Hong Kong airport

A cargo aircraft skidded off the runway and plunged into the sea at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) early Monday morning, resulting in the deaths of two airport personnel, as per reports.

The Boeing aircraft, reportedly operated by Turkish cargo carrier ACT Airlines and arriving from Dubai, veered off the runway around 3.50 am local time. According to airport authorities, the plane broke into two pieces upon impact.

Steven Yiu, Executive Director of Airport Operations at HKIA, stated that the aircraft struck an airport security patrol vehicle during the incident. Both individuals inside the vehicle were reportedly killed.

Footage from the scene showed the aircraft partially submerged in water, with its tail section snapped off and the forward fuselage severely damaged.

According to officials, four crew members on board the aircraft were hospitalized with injuries but survived the crash.

Wesley Yung, Technical Director at the Civil Aviation Department, told reporters that there were no signs of trouble before the landing. “We did not receive any emergency call or distress signal from the pilots,” he noted.

Reportedly, over 200 emergency personnel, including fire crews and marine rescue units, responded to the crash. Recovery and investigation efforts are ongoing.

Following the incident, HKIA suspended operations on its northern runway. However, the airport’s two other runways remain operational, and no major disruptions to flight schedules are expected, Yiu confirmed. The airport typically handles more than 1,000 flights per day.

The flight was operating under an Emirates flight number, but according to an airline spokesperson, the aircraft was wet-leased from ACT Airlines, who were responsible for the operation. ACT Airlines provides cargo services for several international carriers.

An investigation into the cause of the crash is underway, and authorities are expected to review potential technical issues, human error, or weather conditions at the time of landing.