On October 5th, 2023, a potentially catastrophic incident was narrowly avoided at Marrakesh Menara Airport when a Royal Air Maroc Boeing 737-800 (B738) inadvertently caused a runway incursion, forcing a Ryanair flight to climb over it.
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The Royal Air Maroc aircraft, registration CN-RGH, was performing flight AT-740 from Marrakesh, Morocco to Paris Orly, France. The aircraft was taxiing for departure from Marrakesh's runway 28 but crossed the hold short line on taxiway C1 without clearance at about 16:36 local time. The aircraft only stopped on the runway edge.
At that very time, a Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-EVA performing flight FR-1350 from Marrakesh to Nimes, France, was accelerating on Marrakesh's runway 10, cleared for takeoff. The Ryanair aircraft had to climb over the Royal Air Maroc aircraft to avoid a collision and continued to Nimes without further incident.
Following the incident, there was reportedly a lot of screaming by the Moroccan crew heard over the radio frequency. The tower attempted to calm them by stating that everything was recorded. The Royal Air Maroc aircraft departed from runway 28 about five minutes later. ADS-B data suggest that the Ryanair aircraft rotated about 650 meters (approximately 2150 feet) before the intersection with taxiway C1 and crossed the intersection at a height of about 170 feet above ground level. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of adherence to air traffic control instructions and the potential dangers of runway incursions. It underscores the need for constant vigilance and strict compliance with safety protocols in aviation.
