An Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane flying from Addis Ababa to Zambia accidentally landed at an airport still under construction, a government official and the airline said Monday.
The plane hit the tarmac at the unfinished airport in Zambia’s northern Copperbelt province, which is currently served about 15 kilometers away by Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport on Sunday.
The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Misheck Lungu, said the pilot “accidentally” landed at the future Copperbelt International Airport.
“When he was about to land, he communicated with the radar and they told him, ‘We can not see you,'” Lungu told AFP.
“So he used his sight as he had no control and landed at an airport that is still under construction.”
Lungu added that no damage was caused and said investigators would issue a “comprehensive report” on the incident.
The pilot later flew the plane to its original destination.
Ethiopian Airlines confirmed the incident and said details were being investigated in cooperation with the Zambian authorities.
In an email response to AFP, a spokesman said pilots had not been notified of the construction of a new airport with ‘the same runway orientation’ as the existing one.
“The fact that there was no NOTAM (notice to pilots) … and the proximity between the two airports may have contributed to the incident,” the spokesman said.
Zambia is Africa’s second largest copper producer, with the most minerals found in the so-called Copperbelt.
The opening of the new airport in the province, which was built in China, was initially planned for mid-2020, but was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Upon completion, the $ 397 million facility will have greater carrying capacity than its predecessor, with upgraded amenities and 3,500-meter runway.
Cargo flights helped Ethiopian Airlines remain financially viable during the pandemic, with Africa’s largest airline re-using dozens of passenger aircraft as freight carriers.
str-burs-sch / gd