Passengers evacuated after SAS plane starts take-off on taxiway at Brussels Airport
Passengers on a flight to Copenhagen from Brussels were evacuated after the pilot mistakenly began take-off on a taxiway instead of a runway, Brussels Airport confirmed.
Thursday evening's incident involved a Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight that attempted to depart from Zaventem at 21:54. The aircraft, an Airbus A320neo carrying 135 passengers, accelerated on a taxiway, which is only meant for moving aircraft between the terminal and runways.
The crew managed to stop the plane safely before it took off. No one was injured.
Emergency services, including the airport fire brigade and federal police, attended. No one was injured, but passengers and crew were offered psychological support. The evacuation took several hours because there were no stairs available at the spot where the aircraft came to a halt, close to fuel storage tanks.
Passengers could not travel on to Copenhagen that night. Brussels Airport said SAS contacted them to arrange alternative flights and accommodation.
The incident did not disrupt other operations at the airport, and no flights were cancelled as a result.
The exact cause is not yet known and will be investigated by Belgian aviation authorities. Aviation expert Luc De Wilde, talking to VRT NWS, described the event as highly unusual and said initial indications suggested pilot error, though this will have to be confirmed by a full inquiry.
Illustration photo shows a plane at Brussels Airport © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND
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