A WestJet flight from Toronto made a hard landing in St. Maarten in the Caribbean on Sunday afternoon, with slides activated to evacuate the plane.
Passengers and crew managed to slide down safely and were transported to the island airport’s terminal, Calgary-based WestJet said in a statement.
“Emergency services responded immediately, deploying foam as a precaution,” WestJet said. “All guests are accounted for and there are no reported injuries.”
The carrier operated a Boeing 737-800 jet, landing at Princess Juliana International Airport. WestJet took delivery of the jet in 2009, according to Airfleets.net.
The plane, which has a seating capacity designed for more than 170 travellers, was almost full. WestJet said there were 163 people on board.
The airport said in a statement: “Out of an abundance of caution, three individuals were taken for medical evaluation. There was no fire; however, contact with the runway caused damage to the aircraft’s right wing.”
Video posted on X showed travellers taking turns going down the slides and then walking onto a grassy area next to the runway. Other footage indicated that part of the right landing gear appeared to collapse after hitting the runway.
A passenger posted a Facebook video looking out a window with the right wing in view, and as the camera abruptly tilted downward upon the rough landing, there were sounds of “ooh” in the cabin, but no screaming.
During livestreaming on Sunday night from the airport, emergency vehicles continued to be stationed next to the aircraft several hours after the landing, and white foam from earlier in the day had dissipated on the ground.
Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina Issues Statement on Incident at Princess Juliana International Airport
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— Government of Sint Maarten (@SXMGOV) September 7, 2025
“First and foremost, we are grateful that the passengers and crew of WestJet flight WS2276 are safe,” St. Maarten Prime Minister Luc Mercelina said in a news release. “The safety and security of travellers, our aviation personnel, and the general public remain our highest priority.”
Mr. Mercelina praised the response from the airport’s firefighters and operations staff, as well as St. Maarten’s civil aviation authority.
“We are awaiting confirmation on the exact nature of the incident,” WestJet said, adding that the airline is co-operating with local aviation investigators.