Turkish Airlines evacuates Boeing 777 after landing gear smoke prompts emergency response

The return flight (TK2431) to Istanbul was cancelled due to the incident. Yahya Ustun, Senior Vice President of Communications at Turkish Airlines, said that a replacement flight (TK6978) was arranged for affected passengers, departing later that night and arriving in Istanbul with just over two hours’ delay compared to the original schedule.

According to available fleet data, TC-LKF is one of 36 Boeing 777-300ERs operated by Turkish Airlines and is currently about 18 years old. The aircraft previously served with Emirates and Royal Flight before joining Turkish Airlines in April 2024 under an operating lease from AerCap.

Turkish Airlines has launched an internal investigation into the cause of the incident while technical teams continue their inspections on site.

"The evacuation of our passengers was promptly completed, and no injuries occurred. (...) Technical inspections of the aircraft have been initiated by our authorized teams. Initial findings indicate that the smoke was caused by a technical malfunction in the hydraulic pipe," said a spokesperson for Turkish Airlines.

Yahya Ustun added that arrangements were made for those impacted by the cancelled return flight: "Turkish Airlines arranged a replacement flight for the cancelled return journey."

As investigations continue, TC-LKF remains grounded at Antalya Airport.