A Boeing plane aborted takeoff at Australia's Melbourne Airport on Sunday for "technical reasons," according to Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
When Newsweek reached out to Boeing for comment, it referred to Etihad Airways. Newsweek also reached out to Etihad Airways via email for comment Sunday morning.
Why It Matters
Boeing has been under pressure over the past year after its planes were involved in a series of quality control incidents that have made headlines around the world—most notably the mid-air blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines flight in January 2024.
The New York Times reported in 2019 that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner factory in South Carolina "has been plagued by shoddy production and weak oversight that have threatened to compromise safety."
At the time, Brad Zaback, vice president and general manager of Boeing's 787 program, told Boeing South Carolina employees that the Times reporting "features distorted information, rehashing old stories and rumors that have long ago been put to rest," adding that their "manufacturing operations are the healthiest they've ever been."
What To Know
Following the aborted takeoff, over 270 passengers had to disembark the Etihad flight set for Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport.
"The flight crew decided to halt the take-off for technical reasons, the aircraft was safely brought to a stop on the runway and emergency services attended as a precaution," Etihad Airways told The National, a UAE state-owned newspaper.
Etihad said every passenger "disembarked safely" and that they were being helped to get to their destination "as quickly as possible."
The carrier said it regretted the "inconvenience caused," adding that the "safety and comfort of our guests and crew remain our highest priority."
Fire Crews Sent to Boeing Plane
Fire crews were captured on video tending to the plane, which was later shared on social media.
"The fire service applied foam to the tyres on the aircraft's landing gear, which is a routine precaution following a high-speed rejected take-off," Etihad explained.
All the occupants are safe after an Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner plane (A6-BLN) with 289 passengers on board aborted take-off on Runway 34 after malfunction of the plane's landing gear led to smoke and damage to two of the wheels this afternoon at Melbourne Airport… pic.twitter.com/zb4HtTjMKV
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) January 5, 2025Boeing Plane Stuck on Runway
A spokeswoman for Melbourne Airport told The Daily Mail that the plane was stuck on the runway, leaving the airport with only one operational runaway for all its other flights.
"Due to damage to the aircraft's tyres, we have been unable to tow it off the runway. Repairs are currently underway," the spokeswoman said. "We continue to have one runway available for operations which will be used for all arrivals and departures."
What People Are Saying
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told reporters in March that Boeing must "go through a serious transformation here in terms of their responsiveness, their culture and their quality issues."
Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, said at a hearing in June that Boeing was "once an iconic company known for engineering excellence, that somehow lost its way."
Boeing said in a statement Friday that the company has made improvements "in multiple areas including safety culture, training, simplifying their processes, and eliminating defects."
Mike Whitaker, the outgoing administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), said in an online statement Friday, "Boeing is working to make progress executing its comprehensive plan in the areas of safety, quality improvement, and effective employee engagement and training."
"But this is not a one-year project. What's needed is a fundamental cultural shift," he said.
What Happens Next
President-elect Donald Trump will take office later this month. His administration's stance on aviation safety could determine the extent of oversight applied to Boeing and the industry at large.
Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) final report on the January 2024 Alaska Airlines incident is expected later this year, potentially leading to new safety recommendations.
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