After a heat-related smell in the cabin, an Air France aircraft from Paris to Seattle lands at Iqaluit

A heat-related odor in the cabin of a jet that was in route from Paris to Seattle led the pilots to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit.

The Boeing 787 was redirected to the capital of Nunavut, where aircraft arrived shortly before noon local time on Tuesday, according to an email statement from Air France. Three pilots, nine cabin crew members, and 260 passengers were on board the aircraft.

The airline stated that the aircraft was undergoing technical inspections. It gave no details on the source of the odor.

It stated that a second Air France aircraft was scheduled to depart from Montreal in order to collect the passengers from Iqaluit and transport them to New York, from where they would be redirected to Seattle.

"Air France regrets the inconvenience caused by this situation and reiterates that the safety of its customers and crews is its absolute imperative," the airline stated. 

According to a government spokesman for Nunavut, there were no recorded casualties or damages. The Iqaluit Airport Authority was collaborating with the airline to offer assistance, according to Weichien Chan's email.

With one asphalt runway, the Iqaluit International Airport is situated adjacent to the city.

According to Chan, several airlines and private operators who fly on polar routes connecting North America, Asia, and Europe consider it as a diversion airport in their flight itineraries.

According to Chan, jet diversions due to technical or medical problems occur at the airport once every two to three months.