Etihad Airways flight aborts take-off at Melbourne Airport

Etihad Airways flight EY461 bound for Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport aborted its take-off from Melbourne International on Sunday, the airline has confirmed.

In a statement to the ARN News Centre, Etihad said the flight crew decided to halt the take-off for technical reasons, the aircraft was safely brought to a stop on the runway and emergency services attended as a precaution.

The fire service applied foam to the tyres on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner's landing gear, which is routine following a high-speed rejected take-off, the statement said.

Passengers disembarked safely and Etihad teams are working to enable them to continue their onward journeys as quickly as possible. There were no injuries.

Etihad reiterated, in the statement, the safety and comfort of their guests and crew remain their highest priority.

We’d like to provide an update on Etihad flight EY461 at Melbourne Airport on 5 Jan.

Our pilots made the decision to reject take-off for operational reasons. This procedure is the safest course of action to protect everyone on board in such situations.

The aircraft was safely…

— Etihad Airways (@etihad) January 6, 2025