A Paris-bound Aeromexico flight from Mexico City was forced to make an emergency landing in Ireland on Monday, a spokesman for Shannon Airport confirmed to Reuters.
While all of the 193 people onboard were able to deplane safely, the circumstances surrounding the Boeing 787 Dreamliner's diversion and subsequent emergency landing remain somewhat of a mystery.
Mexico's flag carrier confirmed that there was no fire and only said that an alert in the plane's cargo hold caused the flight to change course. Meanwhile, the Shannon Airport spokesman refused to identify a cause, instead pointing out that ground crews planned to inspect the aircraft.
Given the Dreamliner's recent history of overheated electrical systems, speculation has already begun.
The Boeing 787 was grounded worldwide by regulators as recently as January 2013 in the wake of multiple incidents involving the aircraft's lithium-based batteries, which overheated in each instance.
The scares even prompted an investigation from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Three months after the fleet was grounded, the FAA allowed the Dreamliner to resume service after Boeing made modifications to the battery system that involved the installation of steel boxes around the batteries. The new design was developed in order to contain fire and allow for any smoke and fumes to vent outside of the plane.
In a statement, Aeromexico said that it was working with Shannon Airport personnel to "take care of all the passengers" and ensure they reach their final destination.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
