An airline in Somalia has praised one of its pilots after he crash-landed his passenger plane, which had suffered a technical fault, on the shoreline next to the capital's international airport with all 55 on board surviving.
Starsky Aviation said the pilot's quick thinking was crucial in saving the 50 passengers and five crew.
The aircraft, a Fokker 50, reported a problem shortly after takeoff from Mogadishu on Tuesday, and the crew requested that the plane return, Somalia's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said. It touched down but failed to stop on the runway, overshooting the tarmac before coming to rest in shallow water, CAA's director Ahmed Macalin Hassan reported.
Footage posted on X showed passengers leaving the aircraft and walking away from the wreckage on the shore of the Indian Ocean. No serious injuries have been reported.
The African Union's mission in Somalia said UN and AU troops were swiftly deployed to help with rescue efforts. Somalia's transport minister was also at the scene.
We are relieved to confirm that all passengers and crew are safe. Investigations are under way to establish what caused the technical issue that led to the emergency landing, a Starsky spokesman said, adding that the pilot's calm decision-making played a decisive role in ensuring safety.
