Lubricant leakage from Emirates aircraft causes panic

Fumes coming from an Emirates aircraft caused panic at Netaji Subhas International Airport in Kolkata, India, in early September. The problem was detected an hour prior to take off and was caused by a lubricant leakage from the aircraft’s auxiliary power unit (APU). According to experts, the APU allows the air conditioning and other systems in the aircraft to operate even as the engine remains shut down, thereby saving fuel. Aircraft maintenance said, “There’s no harm in an aircraft flying without APU. But if the APU is not in operation, officials may have to reroute the flight path because it is mandatory to halt after an hour every time during the entire journey.” Because of the leakage, the flight was delayed by an hour and 20 minutes. (September 11, 2011)