Budapest Airport Incident: Ethiopian Airlines Cargo 777F Skids on Ice

A couple of days before Emirates’ A380 had to wait for hours before landing on Toronto Pearson International Airport, an Ethiopian Airlines (ET) Boeing 777 Freighter skidded off an icy taxiway at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD), Budapest, during ground operations amid severe winter weather, temporarily disrupting airport operations and prompting safety checks by local aviation authorities.

The cargo aircraft was not carrying passengers, and no injuries were reported among the crew or ground personnel. Airport officials and the airline confirmed that the event took place during taxiing rather than takeoff or landing, with operations partially suspended as de-icing and recovery efforts were initiated.

Budapest Airport

Incident details at Budapest Airport

The Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 777F encountered reduced surface friction while taxiing to its designated parking stand after arrival at Budapest. According to airport and media reports, freezing rain created a layer of black ice on parts of the taxiway network despite ongoing winter operations.

Airport authorities temporarily halted arrivals and departures earlier that day as weather conditions deteriorated, deploying snow-clearing and de-icing vehicles across movement areas. The aircraft eventually came to rest off the paved surface, without structural damage being immediately reported.

Here is the chronology of the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 777F Flight to Budapest:

At the day the airport saw the incident, several airports in Central Europe saw such snowy conditions, and that the airport had been closed “due to the increased safety risks caused by black ice and extreme icing“, and that the arrivals and departures of the airport had been temporarily suspended since 10:25.

Budapest Airport wrote a statement (quoted in National World) about this in the following manner:

“During the course of the morning, the nose gear of Ethiopian Airlines cargo flight ETH3707 slipped off the paved surface of a taxiway onto the grass while taxiing, causing the aircraft to become stuck. The investigation into the circumstances of the incident is currently ongoing, and the airport operator, in cooperation with the competent authorities, is doing everything possible to free the aircraft.”

Hungary Today had reported that several other carriers had been affected by the operations:

“Several Wizz Air flights have been affected, with five flights bound for Budapest Liszt Ferenc Airport forced to land at other airports, while flights bound for Budapest that have not yet departed are waiting at their departure airports until it is safe for them to land in the Hungarian capital. “

Ethiopian’s Boeing 777F Fleet Involved in the Incident

Ethiopian Airlines operates one of Africa’s largest and most diversified cargo fleets, with the Boeing 777F serving as a cornerstone of its long-haul freight operations linking Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. According to data from planespotters.net, the 12 Boeing 777Fs it operates is 7.6 years old.

As quoted in Simple Flying, the details of the aircraft involved in the incident is below:

• Flightradar24 identifies the aircraft involved as Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 777F, registered ET-BAA.

• ch-aviation data shows the aircraft is 2.2 years old.

• The freighter conducted its first test flight on October 28, 2023.

• Ethiopian Airlines took delivery of the aircraft on November 6, 2023.

• ET-BAA is part of the airline’s 12-aircraft Boeing 777F fleet.

• The aircraft carries manufacturer serial number (MSN) 68139.

• The Boeing 777F is powered by two General Electric GE90-115B engines.

• The aircraft’s hex code is 04022A, according to flight-tracking data.

• Ethiopian Airlines also operates other cargo aircraft types, including the Boeing 737-800F and Boeing 767-300BDSF.