A Jetliner carrying 106 people safely returned to Belgrade airport after sustaining severe damage from hitting runway equipment shortly after takeoff from the Serbian capital, media sources and airline blogs reported Monday. Fortunately, there were no injuries.
The incident involved an Embraer E-195 aircraft, en route to Dusseldorf, Germany, on Sunday afternoon. The jet is owned by Greek charter company Marathon Airlines, currently operating several aircraft for Serbian national carrier AirSerbia on a long-term basis.
According to live tracker Flightradar24, flight JU324 was positioned on one of the intersecting taxiways at Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla Airport, indicating it did not have enough runway distance for a safe takeoff.
During departure, the aircraft’s left side sustained significant damage when it struck the instrument landing system array of the opposing runway, located near a busy highway.
Footage and photos of the damaged aircraft show a large hole and tear on the fuselage near the base of the left wing, with damage also visible on the tail section. Firefighters sprayed foam on the fuselage as fuel appeared to leak from the damaged area.
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After struggling to climb, the aircraft entered a holding pattern for about an hour before safely landing back at Belgrade airport, as reported by Serbian media quoting passengers. Passengers were escorted off the aircraft and informed by AirSerbia that the return was due to technical issues, with reassurances that their safety was never compromised.
The airport was temporarily closed on Sunday, with incoming flights diverted to alternative airports.
