A Thai Airways A340 Airbus suffered undercarriage damage during a heavy landing at Melbourne airport on Wednesday, forcing Australia's second-busiest airport to close for more than two hours. Australian aviation officials said the plane blew a tire and damaged hydraulic lines in its undercarriage when it touched down at about midday (0200 GMT). "As a result, hydraulic fluid has leaked onto hot brakes, and there's been two fires. They were extinguished quickly," the spokesman for Air services Australia, which is responsible for air safety, told Reuters. A Thai Airways spokeswoman said the plane, carrying 240 passengers and 13 crew, had landed safely, but heavily, in strong cross winds, bursting a tire. "The passengers were all bussed into the terminal. We're just awaiting a report to see how the aircraft is for onward travel," the spokeswoman said, adding there were no injuries. The plane had stopped at the intersection of the airport's two runways, forcing the airport to close for more than two hours, with incoming flights diverted to other airports. The Air services Australia spokesman said one runway was re-opened after two hours, but the main runway was shut down for five hours.
