A tragedy was narrowly averted after a pilot was forced to abort the landing at Mexico City International Airport. Video captured the scary moment that an Airbus jet operated by low-cost airline Volaris prepared to land as another Volaris jet was taxiing on the runway.
The pilot noticed the plane and was forced to abort the landing and circle around the airport for a second attempt. Volaris did not provide details about the specific flights involved in the incident or how many people were on the flights.
The airline's CEO confirmed the incident on Twitter.
"Thanks to the training of our pilots and their impeccable monitoring of the processes, no passenger or crew member was at risk during the situation," Volaris CEO Enrique Beltranea wrote on Twitter. "Teams, crews and warning systems prepare daily to face similar situations that do not depend on the airlines, and that can happen in aviation."
Beltranea said that Volaris has launched an investigation into the incident.
"Following the protocols, I immediately requested an investigation from our Operational Safety area, as well as from the aeronautical authorities. At #Volaris we always operate with strict adherence to procedures and with safety as a priority," he said in a follow-up tweet.
This isn't the first time there has been a close call at Mexico City International Airport. In the past year, there have been17 incidents in which the ground proximity warning system was set off. The International Air Transport Association, which represents 290 airlines, penned a letter to the head of Mexican Airspace Navigation Services voicing concerns about safety at the airport.
"As you know, these alarms, without the quick action of the flight crew, can lead to a scenario of controlled flight into terrain, CFIT, considered by the industry to be one of the highest risk indicators in operational safety, and with the highest accident rate, as well as fatalities," the letter said, according to the Los Angeles Times.