Emirates Airbus A380 Stranded in Hangzhou for Over 10 Hours

More than 300 passengers on Emirates flight EK302 were forced to remain on board an Airbus A380 after the aircraft was diverted from Shanghai to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport on July 22, 2026 because of severe thunderstorms. The plane landed safely around 9 p.m. local time, but immigration and weather delays kept the aircraft on the tarmac until the following morning.

During the 10‑plus‑hour ground stay, the cabin air‑conditioning failed at about 3 a.m., leaving passengers in sweltering conditions. By the time they were finally allowed to disembark, they had spent more than 17 hours on the aircraft, including roughly seven hours in flight. Emirates later apologized and said it provided meals, hotel accommodation and shuttle buses to Shanghai for the affected travelers.