A Cathay Pacific jetliner landed safely at Vancouver International Airport Tuesday after part of its surface structures were damaged, Canada's Transportation Safety Board said.

An exterior panel that covered the air conditioning unit on the belly of the Boeing 747-400 came away from the fuselage and damaged other panels as the plane was descending into the Vancouver airport, officials said.

The damage did not have any detrimental effect on the flight of the aircraft, they said.

The plane was descending for a scheduled stopover in Vancouver en route to Hong Kong from New York city.

None of the 363 passengers aboard the jumbo jet was hurt and the plane did not have to make an emergency landing when it touched down safely at Vancouver, said Cathay Pacific spokeswoman Jennifer Pearson.

(Xinhua News Agency July 30, 2008)