Two killed as cargo plane skids off runway and crashes into sea at Hong Kong airport

A cargo plane skidded off a runway at Hong Kong International Airport and plunged into the sea while landing early on Monday, killing two people.

The Boeing 747, operated by Turkey-based ACT Airlines, was arriving from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, around 3:50 a.m. The aircraft had been leased from Emirates, the airline said.

Two people in an airport ground-handling vehicle that fell into the sea were confirmed dead, while four crew members were rescued from the plane and taken to hospital.

Emirates said the flight, EK9788, was a wet lease operated by ACT Airlines, meaning the crew, maintenance and insurance were provided by ACT airlines. There was no cargo on board.

Footage from Hong Kong media showed the aircraft partly submerged near the airport’s sea wall. The front of the plane was visible above water, while the tail section appeared to have broken off.

The crash happened on the airport’s north runway, which was later closed. The other two runways remain open.

Built on reclaimed land north of Lantau Island, Hong Kong International Airport, one of Asia’s busiest, sits just a few hundred metres from the sea.

Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department said it was working with the airlines and other parties involved in the crash.

Emirates, best known for its passenger flights from Dubai International Airport, also runs a large cargo operation out of Al Maktoum International Airport, where the ACT Airlines flight had departed.

The airline said earlier this year it had added two wet-leased Boeing 747s to meet growing demand. Emirates operates about 260 aircraft, mostly Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s.