A KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight travelling from Ghana to the Netherlands was forced to return to Accra on Thursday night after a reported onboard fire scare shortly after take-off.
Flight KL590, operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, departed Kotoka International Airport at approximately 10:19 p.m. local time en route to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
According to flight-tracking data from FlightRadar24, the aircraft turned back about 45 minutes into the journey and carried out a series of holding patterns east of Accra before returning safely to the airport. Such manoeuvres are typically undertaken to allow flight crews to assess technical issues, coordinate with air traffic control, or prepare for a precautionary landing.
The aircraft landed safely in Accra and was met by emergency response teams on the ground as a precautionary measure.
Sources at the airport confirmed that no passengers or crew members were injured during the incident.
The exact cause of the reported fire scare remains unclear, as KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and the relevant aviation authorities have yet to issue a detailed statement on the incident.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Hon. Elikem Kotoko, raised concerns on social media about the aircraft involved and questioned whether airlines operating routes to Africa were deploying ageing aircraft.
In a post on X at 12:02 a.m., he wrote: “@KLM flight KL590 just forced an emergency landing back to Acc after about 45 mins of take-off. Suspected fire. How old is this plane?”.
We need to start questioning these airlines on the state and age of the airplanes they use to ply their trade in Africa. @KLM flight KL 590 that took off 10:08pm from Accra to Amsterdam had to force an emergency landing back to ACC after about 45mins in the skies. pic.twitter.com/HfY1KIiChl
— Elikem E. K. Kotoko 🇬🇭 (@ElikemKotoko) June 12, 2026
In a subsequent post at 12:40 a.m., he added: “We need to start questioning these airlines on the state and age of the airplanes they use to ply their trade in Africa…”
Further details are expected once KLM and aviation authorities complete their preliminary assessments and issue official statements on the incident.
