The pilot later flew the plane to its original destination.
Ethiopian Airlines confirmed the incident and said details were being investigated in cooperation with Zambian authorities.
In an emailed response to AFP, a spokesperson said that pilots had not been notified of the construction of a new airport with “the same runway-heading orientation” as the existing one.
“The fact that there was no NOTAM (notice to airmen)… and the close proximity between the two airports may have contributed to the incident,” the spokesperson said.
Zambia is Africa’s second-largest copper producer, with most of the mineral found in the so-called Copperbelt.
Ethiopian Airlines pilot lands at wrong Zambia airport
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Ethiopian Airlines plane mistakenly lands at airport under construction
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Ethiopian 737 lands at airport under construction
Ethiopian Airlines Cargo flight ET3891 was scheduled to operate from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Ndola, Zambia, this morning. The flight was operated by an 18 year old Boeing 737-800 with the registration code ET-AYL.
This plane only joined Ethiopian Airlines’ fleet last week the plane previously flew for Pegasus Airlines, and was then converted into a freighter.
It’s being reported that the plane ended up landing at the wrong airport:
The plane was supposed to land at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe Airport, which is the international airport currently being used in Ndola
Instead the plane landed at Copperbelt International Airport, which is the new international airport in the city that’s nearing completion, but not yet open