DUBAI- Emirates Airlines (EK) refuted social media claims regarding a potential air collision incident involving an Ethiopian Airlines (ET) flight, as confirmed by the national carrier on Wednesday.
The Somaliland Civil Aviation and Airports Authority (SCAAA) stated that there was a narrow avoidance of collision between an Emirates Boeing 777 and an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX while flying over Somaliland.
Emirates Ethiopian Collision Update
An Emirates spokesperson stated, “Emirates can affirm that there was no occurrence of an aircraft proximity incident compromising safety over the airspace and during the specified date and time. All Emirates aircraft are capable of maintaining safe separation and distance during operations.”
According to reports on X (previously known as Twitter), the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Somaliland announced that an Emirates 777, operating under flight EK722, “narrowly avoided a collision” with an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX, operating as flight ET690.
What and When?
According to the report from SCAAA, both flights were instructed to converge at the same time and location. However, air traffic controllers in Somaliland intervened, working together with the Ethiopian flight crew to prevent a potential disaster. The Ethiopian pilots responded by ascending to 39,000 ft, ensuring safe separation between the two aircraft.
The recent incident implicated Emirates Flight EK722 bound for Dubai, and Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET690 bound for Bangalore. As per the SCAAA, the two aircraft almost collided around 00:43 EAT (21:43 UTC) while cruising at 37,000 ft. Allegedly, they received contradictory instructions from air traffic controllers in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital.
According to Flightradar24 data, the Emirates Boeing 777 was traveling from Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta (NBO) to Dubai International Airport (DXB). The airline typically operates up to two daily flights connecting these two cities. On March 24, Flight EK722 took off from Nairobi at 19:54 UTC and safely touched down in Dubai at 00:29 UTC.
Meanwhile, the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX was en route from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) to Bengaluru Kempegowda International Airport (BLR). ET690 departed Addis at 20:36 UTC and landed without incident in Bangalore at 01:55 UTC.
Similar Incident
The incident on March 24 occurred nearly a month after a Qatar Airways (QR) Boeing 787 and an Ethiopian Airlines Airbus A350 narrowly avoided a collision.
This event took place approximately 180 nautical miles northeast of Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland.
The Qatar Dreamliner was flying at 38,000 ft, communicating with Mogadishu, while the Ethiopian A350 was flying at 39,000 ft, communicating with Hargeisa.
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