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Ethiopian Airlines pilot lands at wrong Zambia airport

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Agence France-Presse

<p>ZAMBIA - An Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane flying from Addis Ababa into Zambia accidentally landed at an airport that is still under construction, a government official and the airline said Monday.</p><p>The plane hit the tarmac on Sunday at the uncompleted airport in Zambia&#x27;s northern Copperbelt province, which is currently served by the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport around 15 kilometers (nine miles) away.</p><p>The transport ministry&#x27;s permanent secretary Misheck Lungu said the pilot had landed at the future Copperbelt International Airport &quot;by error&quot;.</p><p>&quot;When he was about to land he was communicating with the radar and they told him, &#x27;We can’t see you&#x27;,&quot; Lungu told AFP. </p><p>&quot;So he used his sight as he had no control and landed at an airport still under construction.&quot;</p><p>Lungu added that no damage resulted and said investigators would issue a &quot;comprehensive report&quot; on the incident.</p><p>The pilot later flew the plane to its original destination.</p><p>Ethiopian Airlines confirmed the incident and said details were being investigated in cooperation with Zambian authorities.</p><p>In an emailed response to AFP, a spokesperson said that pilots had not been notified of the construction of a new airport with &quot;the same runway-heading orientation&quot; as the existing one.</p><p>&quot;The fact that there was no NOTAM (notice to airmen)... and the close proximity between the two airports may have contributed to the incident,&quot; the spokesperson said.</p><p>Zambia is Africa&#x27;s second-largest copper producer, with most of the mineral found in the so-called Copperbelt. </p><p>The opening of the province&#x27;s new Chinese-built airport had initially been scheduled for mid-2020, but was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.</p><p>Once completed, the $397 million facility will have a greater carrying capacity than its predecessor, with upgraded amenities and 3,500 metres (yards) of runway. </p><p>Cargo flights have helped Ethiopian Airlines remain financially viable during the pandemic, with Africa&#x27;s largest carrier repurposing dozens of passenger planes as freight transporters.</p><p>str-burs-sch/gd </p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><br/><strong>FROM OUR ARCHIVES</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/es9-JlF2Bxw?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>An Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane flying from Addis Ababa into Zambia accidentally landed at an airport that is still under construction, a government official and the airline said Monday.</p>

An Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane flying from Addis Ababa into Zambia accidentally landed at an airport that is still under construction, a government official and the airline said Monday.