UAE: Etihad Airways flight aborts take-off at Melbourne Airport due to technical issues

UAE carrier Etihad Airways flight EY461, travelling from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport, aborted take-off earlier on January 5 due to technical reasons, the airline said in a statement to Khaleej Times.

The flight crew made the decision to reject the take-off, bringing the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to a stop on the runway.

As a precautionary measure, emergency services attended the scene. Fire crews applied foam to the tyres on the aircraft’s landing gear, a standard procedure following high-speed rejected take-offs.

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Videos shared online showed smoke emanating from the aircraft, but the airline clarified that the two tyre burst that occurred was a “routine during incidents like a rejected take-off.” They also confirmed that the aircraft did not catch fire.

All passengers and crew onboard were safely disembarked with no injuries. The airline also said that their teams are working to assist them in continuing their journeys as quickly as possible.

Etihad Airways issued a statement confirming the incident, emphasising that the safety and comfort of passengers and crew remain their top priority.

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