Ethiopian Airlines Flight Et298 Bombardier Dhc-8-400 Aircraft Carrying Forty Nine Passengers Skids Off Runway In Rainy Mekelle

Saturday, July 19, 2025

A regular formation turned tense successful Ethiopia arsenic Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET298, operated by a Bombardier DHC-8-400, veered disconnected nan runway while taxiing successful dense rainfall astatine Alula Aba Nega International Airport successful Mekelle. The craft was carrying forty 9 passengers, including 2 children, on pinch unit members, erstwhile nan incident occurred connected July 16, 2025. Though each passengers were safely evacuated, 2 unit members sustained insignificant injuries during nan emergency response.

The craft had conscionable completed a short-haul travel from Addis Ababa erstwhile bedewed runway conditions caused nan excursion. Emergency teams acted swiftly, ensuring nan information of everyone connected board. The incident has now sparked renewed interest astir runway information protocols and infrastructure resilience successful adverse weather, peculiarly successful location airports pinch rising traffic. Ethiopian Airlines has since confirmed nan business was managed nether modular emergency procedures, but nan section has intensified calls for broader information reviews crossed nan region’s aviation network.

Ethiopian Airlines Flight Skids Off Runway astatine Mekelle Airport successful Dangerous Rain Conditions

A regular home formation successful Ethiopia turned into a tense emergency erstwhile Ethiopian Airlines formation ET298 veered disconnected nan runway while taxiing astatine Alula Aba Nega International Airport successful Mekelle. The incident occurred connected July 16, 2025, amid rainy upwind conditions that are now believed to person contributed to nan excursion.

The Bombardier DHC-8-400 aircraft, carrying 49 passengers including 2 children, had conscionable landed from Addis Ababa erstwhile it mislaid traction and slid disconnected nan runway during post-landing procedures. All passengers were safely evacuated, but 2 unit members sustained insignificant injuries during nan emergency response.

Aircraft Excursion Triggers Immediate Response and Evacuation

As nan craft exited nan runway surface, emergency services sprang into action. Within minutes, airdrome unit coordinated pinch nan formation unit to unafraid nan aircraft, initiate removal procedures, and measure injuries. The 2 injured unit members were treated promptly, and each passengers were moved to safety.

Although nan harm to nan craft has yet to beryllium officially reported, preliminary images from nan segment showed nan Bombardier disconnected nan tarmac, chemoreceptor somewhat tilted, but different intact. The accelerated and coordinated consequence avoided what could person been a overmuch much superior outcome.

Weather a Key Factor arsenic African Aviation Faces Infrastructure Pressure

According to hose reports, nan incident occurred successful dense rain—a known consequence facet for runway excursions, particularly successful regions wherever drainage aliases clash treatments whitethorn beryllium underdeveloped. Mekelle’s airport, serving nan superior of Ethiopia’s Tigray region, has seen increasing postulation since flights resumed post-pandemic and post-conflict.

This incident reignites statement astir upwind readiness and airdrome infrastructure finance crossed parts of Africa. Runway excursions are among nan astir communal incidents successful mediocre upwind conditions, peculiarly erstwhile airports deficiency updated landing immunodeficiency aliases modern aboveground clash systems.

Aviation Safety successful Focus arsenic Regional Travel Grows

Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest bearer by fleet and network, has an different beardown information record. Still, runway excursions—even without fatalities—can shingle nationalist confidence, disrupt operations, and origin cascading delays crossed home and world routes.

As aerial recreation crossed Africa grows rapidly, aviation authorities are nether unit to lucifer request pinch upgraded facilities. The summation successful location recreation intends much smaller, high-altitude, and weather-sensitive airports are now managing higher volumes of flights than successful erstwhile years.

This maturation demands robust runway maintenance, enhanced aviator training for terrain-specific landings, and improved meteorological systems—particularly successful regions susceptible to abrupt rainfall aliases fog.

Airline Industry and Travelers Call for Urgent Upgrades

While this incident ended without nonaccomplishment of life, it underlines an urgent telephone to put successful aviation information infrastructure crossed Ethiopia and nan broader East African corridor. Airlines and regulatory bodies must activity together to guarantee landing zones are designed to withstand abrupt shifts successful upwind and support grip during bedewed conditions.

Passengers, too, are progressively alert of nan nuances of airdrome safety. Social media reports from travelers connected committee highlighted nan disorder and urgency of nan event, underscoring nan value of clear emergency protocols and calm unit response.

Ethiopian Airlines Underlines Emergency Readiness

Despite nan scare, Ethiopian Airlines managed nan situation successful accordance pinch world standards. The safe removal of each 49 passengers, including children, illustrates effective emergency preparedness. The crew’s accelerated reaction, contempt 2 of them sustaining injuries, apt prevented a much terrible outcome.

Investigations are now underway to measure nan nonstop cause, reappraisal unit actions, and inspect runway conditions. Findings will thief pass early operational adjustments and whitethorn punctual reviews astatine different location airports facing akin biology challenges.

A Wake-Up Call for Africa’s Regional Aviation Sector

The near-miss successful Mekelle serves arsenic a captious reminder that modern aviation occurrence is not conscionable astir aircraft, but besides astir wherever and really they land. As Ethiopian Airlines continues to grow its footprint crossed Africa and beyond, it must activity hand-in-hand pinch aviation authorities to future-proof airdrome infrastructure.

For travelers, nan incident is simply a sobering but valuable illustration of why craft information isn’t conscionable airborne—it originates and ends connected nan runway. Stronger oversight, amended funding, and relentless attraction connected upwind resilience are nan keys to making judge each touchdown is arsenic safe arsenic takeoff.