Airlink plane with 32 passengers skids off runway at Pemba Airport
An Embraer ERJ 135 aircraft from the South African airline Airlink, carrying 32 passengers, skidded off the runway this Thursday upon landing at Pemba Airport in Cabo Delgado province.
All passengers emerged unharmed, but the incident led to the temporary closure of air traffic at the local airport, as reported by the South African company.
The likely causes are related to the wet runway due to rain that fell in Pemba city over the last 24 hours.
The company stated that the aircraft departed from Johannesburg bound for Pemba and had 32 passengers and three crew members on board, all of whom exited through the main door.
According to the airline, the aircraft with registration SZ-SJX, operating flight 4Z 204, is currently in the hangars at Pemba Airport, awaiting the arrival of a team of company mechanics, while AIRLINK provides support to the passengers.
“There are no reports of injuries at this time. Airlink and Pemba airport staff are taking care of the passengers and crew,” the airline stated.
Airlink also mentioned that it has “notified the relevant authorities” in Mozambique and South Africa about the incident and that the airport management at Pemba “closed the runway”.
“As soon as it reopens, we will send a reserve aircraft to Pemba and a team that will assist in the recovery of the aircraft, which aquaplaned off the runway,” the company further described.
