flydubai confirms ground incident in Maldives; all passengers safe

flydubai has confirmed that one of its aircraft was involved in a ground incident at Velana International Airport in Malé on December 4, with all passengers and crew safely disembarking and no injuries reported.

“Our aircraft at Velana International Airport (MLE) was involved in a ground incident on 04 December. All our passengers and crew have safely disembarked to the terminal,” the airline said in a statement to Gulf News.

The carrier said it acted quickly to minimise disruption, rebooking affected travellers on the next available services while the aircraft undergoes a “thorough inspection.”

Details Still Emerging

flydubai has not disclosed the aircraft type or flight number involved, nor the nature of the ground incident. However, consultation of Flightradar24 suggests the jet was a Boeing 737 MAX 8 registered A6-FMM on flight FZ1025. Social media show visible damage to part of the wing after it was hit by a fuel lorry.

The aircraft’s onward flight to Colombo was cancelled while engineers assessed the damage.

No Injuries, Safety Emphasis

The airline reiterated that safety remains its “highest priority,” noting its strong safety record and the reliability of its growing Boeing 737 MAX fleet.

At the Dubai Airshow last month, CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said the aircraft type “enhances efficiency and safety across 120+ routes.” flydubai operates frequent Maldives services catering largely to leisure travellers.

Further details about the incident are expected once the inspection is complete.