Airplane diverted to Regina with smoke in cabin

It was an emergency landing, but everyone on the ground seemed calm, cool and collected when an Air Canada flight touched down in Regina on Thursday afternoon.

The Vancouver-to-Winnipeg flight with 150 passengers on board had to be diverted after smoke was reported in the rear galley of the plane.

“The aircraft has landed safely (and) all passengers on board are now being taxied to the terminal building,” Regina Airport Authority CEO James Bogusz said shortly after the plane landed.

The plane landed and then taxied slowly to the terminal building, where multiple fire trucks and firefighters were ready. The plane stopped a few hundred metres away from the building and firefighters walked around it, looking it over.

It appeared that they didn’t see anything of concern because the plane was quickly allowed to continue on to the terminal, where the passengers disembarked up the jetway.

After that, firefighters took over, with an Air Canada truck arriving soon after.

Bogusz said the plane wouldn’t affect other airport operations.

“Because the aircraft was able to taxi to the terminal building under its own power, it is now clear of the main runway,” he said.

No one was hurt.

As of Thursday afternoon, no cause for the fire had been reported. Air Canada confirmed a new plane was being sent to take the passengers to Winnipeg, and the Winnipeg Airport listed the flight’s arrival time after 9 p.m.

I’m at the #yqr airport where an Air Canada flight with smoke in the cabin is making an unplanned stop in Regina. Regina Fire is standing by pic.twitter.com/d83lfdfide

— Lisa Schick (@LMSchickler) April 18, 2019