As the plane accelerated down the runway, concerns arose that the tyres had burst, prompting the pilots to halt the takeoff, The Standard reports.
An Etihad flight destined for Abu Dhabi was forced to abandon its takeoff at Melbourne Airport on Sunday due to a suspected tyre blowout.
As the plane accelerated down the runway, concerns arose that the tyres had burst, prompting the pilots to halt the takeoff, The Standard reports.
According to an airline spokesperson, the flight was stopped due to “technical reasons,” and as a precautionary measure, the fire service was quickly dispatched to the scene to apply foam to the tyres.
A witness to the incident claimed on social media that the pilot was forced to make an emergency stop, slamming on the brakes during the attempted takeoff.
However, an Etihad spokesperson denied any speculation of a fire, instead attributing the rejected takeoff to technical issues.
The spokesperson said, “Etihad Airways flight EY461 from Melbourne (MEL) to Abu Dhabi (AUH) experienced a rejected take-off on 05 January 2025.
“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.
“Guests have been disembarked safely and our teams are working to enable them to continue their onward journeys as quickly as possible.”
The airline’s spokesperson said the fire service applied foam to the tyres on the aircraft’s
