An Etihad Airways flight was forced to abort take-off at the last minute at Melbourne Airport on Sunday night due to “technical reasons”.
The incident occurred when Etihad flight EY461, with 271 passengers on board, was moments from leaving the ground when smoke was seen coming from the wheels.
In a statement sent to The National, the UAE national airline said “flight EY461 from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi experienced a rejected take-off on January 5”.
“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 added.
Etihad said all 271 passengers “disembarked safely” and efforts were under way to help them “continue their onward journeys as quickly as possible”.
The airline added it regretted the “inconvenience caused” and emphasised the “safety and comfort of our guests and crew remain our highest priority”.
