Archive Photo: Skycolors / Shutterstock / WestJet low over the Maho beach Drama on the Caribbean Island.
A passenger Boeing 737 belonging to the Canadian airline WestJet, operating flight 2276 from Toronto to the Caribbean Princess - St. Maarten (SXM), made a rough landing on Sunday at 17:29 (UTC) at the island's famous airport.
According to the airline, the landing was accompanied by a real emergency procedure: local rescue teams responded immediately and began spraying foam on the runway, apparently as a precaution to prevent a fire. Emergency slides were activated, and all passengers and crew were quickly evacuated from the aircraft.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported. All passengers were safely evacuated and transferred to the terminal, where they received assistance from ground crew and company representatives.
Meanwhile, WestJet released a statement saying it is “working in full cooperation with local authorities” and that the safety of the passengers and crew is its top priority. The company promised to provide further updates as more information on the circumstances of the incident becomes available.
Princess Juliana International Airport, known worldwide for its runway adjacent to Maho Beach, returned to limited operations, as the runway area was inspected and cleared.