Ethiopian Airlines suspends two pilots for falling asleep midair, missing landing

The biggest airline in Africa, Ethiopian Airlines, has suspended two pilots after reports emerged claiming they fell asleep midair and missed their landing window. The flight was destined to capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa from Sudan's capital, Khartoum, when the two pilots reportedly fell asleep midway, overshooting their runway at Bole International Airport on August 15.

As per The Aviation Herald, both the sleeping pilots were out of reach when air traffic control tried to establish a connection. The independent aviation news site stated that the pilots woke up only after an alarm rung after the autopilot system got disconnected.

Fortunately, the pilot's mistake did not cause any terrible incident. The flight could land safely at Addis Ababa 25 minutes later than the scheduled time.




Flight tracking data have also confirmed that the Boeing 737-800 flight followed its correct air route, but it did not descend when it reached Addis Ababa; instead, it remained at its flying altitude, i.e., 37,000 feet.

The airline informed on August 20 that both the pilots were suspended following the mishap, and further investigation was on. Stating that safety has always been its priority, Ethiopian Airlines said it would take further corrective actions against the pilots once the investigation was complete.

Managing Director of Australia-based consultancy firm Aviation Projects, Keith Tonkin, said that airlines often have protocols to ensure that someone at the controls is always awake. However, he added that such protocols are rarely implemented for short-duration flights.

According to Tonkin, both the pilots must be given a chance to present their side and explain themselves, and if they violate rules and procedures, they should take action against them.

Notably, Ethiopian Airlines is considered one of the safest airlines in the world and has a good record. It also has its flight school named the Ethiopian Aviation Academy.