Ethiopian Airlines Suspends Aircrews After They Allegedly Dozed Off and Missed Their Landing
Ethiopian Airlines has suspended the flight crew after both pilots allegedly fell asleep and missed their landing window in Ethiopia's capital city, Addis Ababa.
Leah Mukangai 
According to reports, the Boeing 737-800 flight from Khartoum to Addis Ababa was cruising at 37,000 feet but did not descend as it approached Addis Ababa's airport.
Although the plane landed safely, experts said the incident raised concerns about pilot fatigue on the airline, Africa's largest.
According to the Aviation Herald, a news website for the aviation industry, the two pilots were flying a Boeing 737 from Sudan's capital, Khartoum, to Addis Abeba on Monday. "After flying over the runway, when the autopilot failed, the disconnect wailer awoke the crew, who then maneuvered the aircraft for a safe landing," the report revealed.
According to Ethiopian Airlines, the crew has been "removed from operation pending further investigation."
"Based on the findings of the investigation, appropriate corrective action will be taken. Our top priority has always been and will continue to be safety," the Ethiopian airline stated.
According to experts, the incident could have been caused by the airline overworking the pilots or by other external factors.
"would certainly be investigated in terms of exactly how many hours they were flying and potentially whether fatigue or scheduling may have played a role in this, but it is, at the end of the day, the responsibility of the crew if they are fatigued or if they are tired, to report that they’re tired,” Hassan Shahidi of the Flight Safety Foundation stated.
The investigation's conclusion was expected soon, as Ethiopian Airlines tries to assuage passenger concerns about safety.
Ethiopian Airlines is Africa's largest carrier and has a good safety record, according to experts.
