Boeing Aircraft Evacuating 300 Refugees Overshoots Runway In Sudan

Due to the Boeing 727 aircraft overshooting the runway, planes from Juba Airport had to be cancelled while a FlyDubai flight was diverted to Entebbe Airport in Uganda.

Image Source- Twitter

A Boeing 727 freighter aircraft carrying 300 refugees from a conflict zone in Sudan overshot a runway upon landing, as per Aeroflap's report. The incident occurred on runway 13 at Juba Airport in South Sudan. During its landing, the aircraft failed to stop within the bounds of the runway. However, the reason for the incident is not known yet. It is to be noted that despite the accident, no casualties or injuries have been reported.

The Boeing 727 aircraft with registration EY-627 was chartered by Two South Sudanese businessmen named Chagai and Bibi Ali, who collaborate with nonprofits there to get the refugees out of the conflicted area.

Following the incident, Juba Airport (JUB) was forced to close, and a FlyDubai flight was diverted to Entebbe Airport in Uganda.

Boeing 727 with over 300 passengers fleeing the fighting in Sudan has overrun the runway at Juba International Airport. FlyDubai flight FZ611 has had to divert to Entebbe Airport in Uganda due to the incident. No injuries reported. pic.twitter.com/Qtn2Aw2rRT — Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) April 28, 2023

In another update, Indian budget carrier IndiGo has offered their aircraft to bring Indians stranded in Sudan. The airline offered its aircraft to transport 231 Indians from Jeddah to New Delhi. 

In a statement, the airline said, "We have offered our services for charter flights to Jeddah under the Indian Government`s Operation Kaveri rescue mission of our citizens from Sudan. We are still awaiting details from the ministry to launch these flights, nothing has been confirmed as of yet."

Because of the ongoing battles between the army and paramilitary groups, Sudan has remained on edge. Even during the current 72-hour ceasefire, reports of violence and fighting have surfaced.

Soldiers loyal to Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the commander of the Sudanese army, and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF), engaged in combat.

Foreign countries have been advising their citizens to leave the country as soon as possible, including the UK. While there are still many foreign nationals in Sudan, evacuations are still taking place. Some people have had difficulty reaching the airstrip used for evacuations. Local residents are still evacuating the capital, where there are shortages of food, water, and fuel.