The cargo plane touched down on Sunday at the not-yet-finished
airport in Zambia's northern Copperbelt province, which is currently served by
the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport, some 15 kilometers (9 miles)
away.
Landing glitch
"When he was about to land he was communicating with
the radar, and they told him: 'We can't see you,'" the Transport
Ministry's permanent secretary, Misheck Lungu, told the news agency AFP.
"So he used his sight as he had no control and landed at an airport still
under construction."
Lungu added that no damage had been incurred and said
investigators would be releasing a "comprehensive report."
Though there is no mention of the incident on its Twitter
page, Ethiopian Airlines confirmed that the episode had taken place and said an
investigation, in cooperation with Zambian authorities, was already underway.
Pandemic delays airport opening
Zambia is Africa's second-largest copper producer, with the
majority of the mineral located in the Copperbelt region.
The Chinese-built airport in the Copperbelt was supposed to
open in mid-2020, but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Once finished, the $397 million (€336 million) airport will
have a greater carrying capacity than its predecessor, with upgraded amenities
and 3,500 meters (3,827 yards) of runway.
Cargo flights have helped Ethiopian Airlines remain
financially viable during the pandemic, with Africa's largest carrier using
dozens of passenger planes as freight transporters.
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