Tuesday February 27, 2024
Mogadishu (HOL) - Qatar Airways has reported that its international pilots skillfully averted a mid-air collision with an Ethiopian Airlines Airbus A350 over Somali airspace on Saturday, February 24.
A spokesperson for Qatar Airways emphasized that their pilots are extensively trained to handle unexpected events that may occur in airspace.
"Qatar Airways invests heavily in state-of-the-art systems to ensure that our highly trained pilots safely operate our aircraft in airspace around the world," the Qatar Airways spokesperson told the BBC. He added, "These systems provide our crews with the multifaceted ability to manage air traffic and ensure their safety through proper manners."
While the Qatari company did not explicitly detail the incident, it was reported that around 09:32 UTC, a potential mid-air collision between a Qatar Airways Boeing 787-8 (A7-BCN) and an Ethiopian Airlines Airbus A350-900 (ET-ATY) was narrowly avoided over Somali airspace on February 24.
Qatar Airways flight QR1383, flying from Doha (DOH) to Entebbe (EBB), and Ethiopian Airlines flight ET602, en route from Addis Ababa (ABB) to Dubai (DXB), received conflicting instructions from air traffic controllers in Mogadishu.
Both flights safely landed at their respective destinations, with QR1383 touching down at Entebbe Airport at 11:58 UTC and ET602 arriving in Dubai at 12:05 UTC.
The Somali Civil Aviation Authority has announced that it will investigate the incident.