Etihad Airways flight aborts take-off in Melbourne, all passengers safe

An Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aborted take-off at Melbourne Airport on Sunday after a landing gear malfunction led to smoke and damage to two of the aircraft’s wheels, the airline said.

Flight EY461, carrying 271 passengers, was accelerating for departure to Abu Dhabi when the flight crew opted to reject take-off owing to a technical issue, Etihad said in a statement.

“The aircraft was safely brought to a stop on the runway and emergency services attended as a precaution,” the airline said, adding that all passengers disembarked safely.

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, 2025

Footage from the scene showed fire crews surrounding the aircraft, with foam applied to the landing gear as a precautionary measure.

Etihad said it was assisting passengers with alternative travel arrangements and apologised for the disruption. “The safety and comfort of our guests and crew remain our highest priority,” it said.

The airline did not specify the nature of the technical issue or the extent of the damage to the aircraft. Melbourne Airport operations were briefly affected but later resumed normal service.