An Emirates Airbus A380 was damaged on Wednesday afternoon as it prepared to take off from Moscow Domodovo Airport to Dubai (United Arab Emirates). A service truck carrying water crashed under the device around 4:30 p.m. local time (6:30 p.m. in France).
No injuries were reported.
“Emirates flight EK134 was canceled due to a ground services vehicle coming into contact with the aircraft before passengers boarded,”
the company said in a statement.
“All affected passengers have been reassigned to a subsequent Emirates flight. Emirates regrets any inconvenience caused, the safety of its passengers and crew is of paramount importance,”
she apologized.
Significant damage
The driver would have suffered a sudden deterioration in his state of health, suggesting a stroke, while driving his vehicle. Paralyzed, the man was hospitalized.
The A380's belly appears to have suffered significant damage. One question remains unanswered: how to repair the A380 in Russia when this country has been subject to sanctions from the West since the start of the invasion in Ukraine? The European Union
“bans the export to Russia of goods and technologies intended for the aeronautics and space industry”
since February 2022, according to the restrictive measures detailed by the European Council website.
Insurance services, maintenance and technical assistance in connection with these goods and technologies are also prohibited.
The UAE continued to maintain diplomatic relations with Russia after the start of the war in Ukraine. Emirates operates two Airbus A380 flights to Moscow Domodedovo Airport per day in addition to a third operated by a Boeing 777-300. The airline also serves St. Petersburg with a daily Boeing 777-300 flight.