An Emirates Airbus A380 superjumbo was badly damaged on Wednesday afternoon as it was preparing for departure at Moscow Domodedovo Airport after a ground services truck became completely wedged underneath the massive double-deck aircraft.
Photos shared on social media from the airport show the bright yellow truck partially crushed underneath the aircraft. As the truck was dragged under, the belly of the A380 appears to have sustained significant damage.
The cause of the accident has not yet been established, although it is not believed that anyone was injured.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Emirates told us: “Emirates flight EK134 has been cancelled due to a ground services vehicle making contact with the aircraft prior to passengers boarding.”
“All affected passengers have been rebooked on a later Emirates flight. Emirates regrets any inconvenience caused, the safety of its passengers and crew is of paramount importance.”
The United Arab Emirates has maintained diplomatic relations with Russia throughout the war in Ukraine, and Dubai has become an even more popular holiday destination for Russians since Western sanctions closed off much of the rest of the world to Russian citizens.
Emirates operates two Airbus A380 flights to Moscow Domodedovo Airport per day in addition to a third Boeing 777-300 service. The airline also serves St Petersburg with a daily Boeing 777-300 flight.
Operating flights to and from Russia isn’t, however, without its difficulties. Various US and EU sanctions imposed on Russia since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine mean that it’s illegal to import spare parts for Western-built aircraft.
Depending on the extent of damage incurred to Emirates’ A380, these sanctions could pose a serious issue in getting the aircraft airworthy again.
That’s not a pushback…it’s the 💩 truck