Air France Boeing Jet makes emergency landing in Beijing

An Air France-KLM flight made an emergency landing shortly after taking off from Beijing after the Boeing Co. 777 aircraft suffered a technical failure and smoke filled the cabin. 

The flight, destined for Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, returned to Beijing airport 14 minutes after departure, the carrier said in a statement Saturday. Passengers reported hearing a loud bang before black smoke began filling the cabin, the Beijing Daily said. There were no reports of injury. 

A Boeing spokesperson referred to Air France for any information on the incident. 

“A failure of the aircraft’s pneumatic system resulted in overpressurization in one of the air conditioning pipes, which spread residue and dust in the cabin,” Air France said in its  statement. 

Maintenance work will be carried out on the aircraft, and passengers were offered alternative flights to Paris, the airline said. 

Boeing, one of the world’s largest planemakers, has come under widespread scrutiny in recent years. Safety issues regarding its 737 Max jetliners, which were involved in two fatal crashes, have cost the company more than $20 billion and badly tarnished the carrier’s reputation.