Sparks shoot from United Airlines plane's wings soon after take-off; netizens concerned

Newark: When sparks shot from one of the wings shortly after takeoff, a typical flight from Newark airport in the United States took a frightening turn. The incident's footage is widely shared on social media. Additionally, it displays burning debris falling from the aircraft. It was a United Airlines flight, according to Aero Explorer, travelling from Newark to Sao Paulo, Brazil. Social media users are outraged by the footage and place the blame on the airline's outdated fleet's inadequate maintenance.

Aero Explorer added that the plane was a Boeing 777-200ER. It returned to Newark 1.5 hours after takeoff, the publication added, citing information from FlightRadar24.

After viewing the video, Twitter users became enraged, NDTV reported.

"All because someone didn't put their phone on airplane mode," tweeted one user. "Terrible but thanks to the pilot they landed safely," said another.

Older planes are a source of concern, although the exact cause of the occurrence is still unknown. United has placed numerous orders for Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which it will start receiving in 2023.

"With a number of our aircraft nearing the end of their lifecycle and the growth opportunities that we know will exist in the COVID-19 recovery period, this agreement will help us to grow as demand returns," Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters after the agreement was signed last year.

A total of 94 new aircraft will be added to United's fleet by moving up the delivery of 40 previously ordered MAX aircraft to 2022 and 5 to 2023, in addition to the new Boeing purchase.