Water streamed from the cabin ceiling on Emirates flight EK123 from Dubai to Istanbul shortly after takeoff, soaking passengers, according to Viral Press and passenger video shared online.
What passengers say
Hsin Ying Chang, a traveler from Taiwan, said the water soaked her “like a waterfall,” according to Viral Press. Chang said crew did not explain or apologize at the time and that her new seat had no television or entertainment, leaving her to “sit facing the wall” for the rest of the trip.
What Emirates says
In a statement attributed to the airline and quoted by Viral Press, Emirates said an accumulation of condensation led to water being observed in part of the cabin shortly after takeoff: “Emirates can confirm that an accumulation of condensation resulted in water being observed in a part of the cabin shortly after take-off on flight EK123 from Dubai to Istanbul on 17 September 2026. Cabin crew responded in accordance with established procedures and relocated affected customers whose seats had become wet. No further water was observed during the flight, which continued to Istanbul as scheduled. We apologize to the affected customers for the inconvenience caused.”
Timing and route
Viral Press reported that flight records show EK123 departed Dubai at 11:14 a.m. and landed in Istanbul at 2:16 p.m. local time, a flight of just over four hours. The report says it remains unclear exactly when the leak began.
What we don’t know
The cause has not been independently confirmed. While water dripping from ceiling panels can sometimes be traced to condensation building up in an aircraft’s air-conditioning system, the report notes officials have not confirmed that was the cause in this case. The date in Emirates’ quoted statement (“17 September 2026”) does not align with the report’s reference to Sept. 17, and may reflect a discrepancy that could not be resolved from the provided materials.
Related incident
Viral Press also pointed to a separate 2024 episode in which water from a lavatory leak flooded the aisle of an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Minneapolis.
