Two India-Bound Aircrafts Were Heading Towards Each Other At Dubai Airport: Major Accident Averted

Opposite to the contrary notion, Air Travel is much safer than traditional road travel. According to a report, the rate of a fatal accident with Airplanes is 1 in 16 million flights whereas the odds of dying in a car crash are approximately 1 in 114. So, we can close our eyes and safely say that the airplane will take you to the destination without you requiring you to worry.

But recently the Dubai Airport could have a witness to that fatal 1 in 16 million flights. But due to the quick response of all the parties involved the disaster was averted.

Fatal accident averted at Dubai Airport

On January 9, at Dubai airport, a collision of two India-bound flights was averted. The flights were scheduled for take-off on one runway, in a gap of five minutes. The lives of hundreds of passengers were saved after the take-off was immediately rejected.

“EK-524 from Dubai-Hyderabad was accelerating for take-off from runway 30R when the crew saw an aircraft coming in the same direction at high speed. Take-off was immediately instructed by ATC to be rejected. The aircraft slowed down safely and cleared the runway via taxiway N4, which crossed the runway. Another emirates flight EK-568, from Dubai to Bangalore, was rolling for departure was to take-off from same runway 30R,” a person aware about the details of the incident reported.

After the disaster was averted, the Bengaluru-bound flight took off and the Hyderabad-bound flight went back to the taxi bay to wait. Emirates AIR reported that there was no aircraft damage.

An internal probe has been initiated

Insiders confirmed that this was a near-disaster incident. An internal probe has been initiated by the authorities. The air traffic control had cleared the Bengaluru-bound flight for take-off. The Hyderabad-bound flight was ordered to abort the take-off. At that time, the plane had traveled 2,600 feet down the runway and reached the speed of 130 knots. It should be noted that the pilots were successful to slow down the plane from its high speed.

Learnings from the investigation report will be useful for avoiding such incidents in the future.