(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
SHARJAH – An Ukrainian-made cargo plane had to make an emergency landing at Sharjah International Airport early on Sunday morning after its engine developed some problem, causing ‘maximum emergency’ at the airport. Antonov is of the make that got General Civil Aviation Authority’s clearance to return to the skies only last month, after it was involved in a series of crashes and emergency landings.
The plane took off from Sharjah airport very early on Sunday morning, heading for Lagos, Nigeria, with a load of goods, a police official said. The captain of the plane, which belongs to a Sharjah-based cargo company, informed the airport authority 45 minutes after the take-off of a technical fault in the engine, said Sharjah Civil Aviation department director Abdul Ahab Al Roomy. Police, fire engines and rescue units stood prepared near the runway for eventualities like fire or a crash.
Al Roomy said, “We made all emergency preparations and announced maximum emergency at the airport, while several flights too were delayed.” The caption managed to land the plane safely and its six-member crew was shaken with fear but did not suffer any injury. The technical fault in the plane’s engine is being investigated.
A series of incidents, mainly at Sharjah International Airport, where a number of Antonov cargo planes operate, caused the GCAA to temporarity ban the Antonov A-12 from flying in the UAE January 8 onwards. Emergency landings and runway accidents involving the plane took place at the airport on October 24, January 2 and January 6 but the most serious incident involved a crash in Iraq on November 13 of a UAE-owned plane on November 13 last year, that killed all the seven people on board. The ban was lifted last month on the condition that aircrafts be certified as airwoethy, maintenance be kept up to maintain standards and the crew must hold valid training certificates.
Asian Travel News and Guides