MONTREAL, le 25 août
The passengers and members of the flight crew of Air Transat TS 236, which made an emergency landing this morning on Terciera Island in the Azores, are being taken by boat to the neighbouring island of Ponta Delgada. An Air Transat aircraft is currently en route to pick them up and take them to Lisbon, their destination.Among those aboard the aircraft which is expected to arrive in Ponta Delgada at approximately 22:00 GMT (6 p.m., Montreal time), are members of Air Transat's management whose responsibility it is to provide as much support as possible to the 291 passengers and thirteen crew members. Other resource persons are also on hand in Lisbon to meet the passengers. A special telephone line has been put at the disposal of the families of passengers wishing to obtain information. Passengers have been able to contact their families since this morning.No major injuries were reported. A few people suffered from shock or minor injuries during evacuation of the aircraft, which nevertheless took place in an orderly fashion. The aircraft, an Airbus A330-200 operated by Air Transat since 1999, had never experienced any particular problem prior to this morning's incident which resulted in engine shutdown. The captain maintained control of the aircraft at all times throughout the emergency landing during which some tires ruptured. This situation subsequently resulted in the temporary closing of the runway, hence the reason why the passengers were transported to the neighbouring island of Ponta Delgada, prior to continuing on to Lisbon.Air Transat will offer its full cooperation to the Portuguese authorities in charge of conducting the enquiry to determine the causes of the incident.