Black Smoke Seen Near Malaysia Airlines Aircraft Engine at Japan’s Narita Airport, Runway Closed

August 20, 2026

Tokyo: A Malaysia Airlines passenger aircraft aborted its takeoff at Japan’s Narita International Airport near Tokyo on Thursday morning after black smoke was seen coming from near one of its engines, prompting authorities to close a runway for inspection.

The incident took place at around 10:40 a.m. local time when the aircraft was taxiing on the runway in preparation for takeoff. A problem was reported involving the aircraft’s engine, after which the flight was aborted.

According to reports, the aircraft was carrying 160 passengers and crew members. There were no immediate reports of injuries among those onboard.

Black smoke reported from aircraft engine

The fire department received a report at around 10:40 a.m. that something resembling black smoke was coming from an aircraft engine at Narita Airport.

The aircraft was identified as a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane scheduled to depart from Narita. The plane was taxiing for takeoff when the engine-related problem occurred, leading the crew to abort the takeoff.

Emergency crews were sent to the aircraft as a precaution.

Footage from the scene showed the aircraft parked on the runway at around 11 a.m., with several fire engines and ambulances positioned nearby while emergency personnel attended to the situation.

Narita Airport closes Runway A

Following the incident, Runway A at Narita Airport was closed for inspection.

Airport authorities began examining the runway and aircraft as officials worked to establish what caused the smoke and engine problem. The closure was described as part of the emergency response and inspection following the incident.

There was no immediate indication that the incident had resulted in injuries.

Investigation underway

Officials are investigating the circumstances surrounding the aircraft’s engine problem and the cause of the black smoke.

Further details about the aircraft, including the precise nature of the technical issue, were not immediately available.

The incident comes as Narita Airport continues to handle a large volume of international passenger traffic, making runway inspections and emergency procedures important to maintaining airport safety.

Authorities are expected to provide further information as the investigation progresses.