Water Leak Drenches Passengers on Emirates Flight

Water cascaded from the ceiling of an Emirates flight, drenching passengers and prompting them to shield themselves with blankets during a flight from Dubai to Istanbul on September 17.

Footage shared online captured the unsettling scene aboard flight EK123, where streams of water fell from above. Passengers were observed using their blankets to stay dry, while others documented the event with their phones. One passenger, Hsin Ying Chang, described the water soaking her "like a waterfall."

Emirates issued a statement attributing the incident to "an accumulation of condensation" that resulted in water being observed in a section of the cabin shortly after takeoff. The airline confirmed that cabin crew relocated affected passengers whose seats became wet.

"No further water was observed during the flight, which continued to Istanbul as scheduled," Emirates stated. "We apologize to the affected customers for the inconvenience caused."

However, passenger Hsin Ying Chang reportedly claimed that the cabin crew offered no immediate explanation or apology. She also stated that she was moved to a seat without entertainment, leaving her with little to do but "sit facing the wall."

The flight, which lasted just over four hours, departed Dubai at 11:14 a.m. and landed in Istanbul at 2:16 p.m. local time. While excess condensation from air-conditioning systems can cause water to drip from ceiling panels, Emirates has not officially confirmed this as the cause for this specific incident.

This event follows a separate incident in 2024 where passengers on an American Airlines flight experienced flooding in the cabin due to a lavatory leak.