Flights to and from Entebbe International Airport came to a standstill after Thursday morning 03rd January, incident where Ethiopian Airlines Passenger plane B-737-800 aircraft with registration number ET-ATV and flight number ET338 hit the runway while landing on a return flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Capital to Entebbe, Uganda at 12:41am with a total of 139 Passengers and crew onboard who were later deplaned safely.
”We apologize to on- board customers for the inconveniences caused as an alternative flight is being arranged to complete the return flight and rebook passengers who were booked to travel from Entebbe to Addis Ababa” Ethiopian Airlines wrote in a press statement on Thursday morning.
Current investigations attribute the cause of the runway overshoot to the Air pocket. In the world of aviation ‘’Air pocket’’ means an isolated space containing trapped Air, as in bread dough or collapsed mine shaft, localized atmosphere condition such as downdraft that causes an aircraft to lose attitude abruptly. However, further insights into the cause of this matter are being carried out by the Authorities to establish exactly what led to the abrupt breakdown.
Commenting about the incident, Honourable Monica Azuba Ntege, The Minister of Works and Transport said that in line with international aviation practice, Civil Aviation Authority immediately issued a notice to Airmen (NOTAM) at 6:40am who temporarily suspended flights from outside countries until the aircraft had been safely towed off the runway end.
Passengers arriving and departing Entebbe had to wait a little longer as inbound international flights including Turkish Airlines, Rwanda Air, Egypt Air and Kenya Airways all with morning scheduled incoming flights were affected.
Civil Aviation Authority Manager for Public Affairs, Vianney M. Lugya mentioned that the runway was not affected as many claimed earlier on and they will issue a statement about the incident.
However, flights resumed at 10:00am after hand in hand collaboration between Airport stake holders, Ethiopian Airlines and the Ministry of works and transport removed the aircraft from the runway end.
