EMERCOM jet tests repaired Rostov-on-Don runway

On 21 March, a Russian Emergency Control Ministry (EMERCOM) plane became the first aircraft to land on the repaired runway at the Rostov-on-Don airport. The runway had to be cleared and repaired following the crash of a Boeing 737-800 on 19 March. The accident killed all 62 people onboard the FlyDubai plane, including seven crew members and 55 passengers. Three hundred square metres of the runway were damaged by the crash, said EMERCOM, with wiring and lighting being affected.

The EMERCOM Antonov-148 landed at 09:25 hrs, approximately five hours after repairs were completed. In addition to the plane being the first to test the runway, it was the first time that an EMERCOM plane has been involved in a runway test, said the Ministry.

Fire and rescue units were on stand-by in case of an emergency, but the plane landed without incident and the crew were said to have no complaints about the runway.