Air Arabia flight plummets close to sea after takeoff; investigation launched

Italy's air safety regulator is investigating after an Air Arabia plane, soon after taking off from Catania Airport in Sicily, descended dangerously close to the Mediterranean Sea in what is being called a "serious incident".

According to the Agenzia Nazionale Per La Sicurezza Del Volo (ANSV), the incident occurred one month ago when the Air Arabia flight, heading to Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan, departed from Catania Airport. The aircraft’s Ground Proximity Warning System alerted the pilots when the aircraft plummeted to the sea surface.

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"On September 20, 2025, at 21:57 UTC, shortly after takeoff from Catania Airport, an Air Arabia Airbus A320 aircraft, registration CN-NML, bound for Queen Alia International Airport (Jordan), received a Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) pull-up message. This occurred as the aircraft approached the sea surface, reaching a short distance from it. The flight continued without further incident,” Italian regulator Agenzia Nazionale Per La Sicurezza Del Volo said in a statement.

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Air Arabia Maroc spokesperson confirmed to Khaleej Times that they are aware of the investigation by the Italian investigator.

“We are aware of reports concerning an Air Arabia Maroc ferry flight operating from Catania to Amman on September 20, 2025, which mentioned the activation of the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) during the flight. Air Arabia Maroc places the highest importance on safety and transparency. We are fully cooperating with the Italian National Agency for Flight Safety (ANSV) as part of the ongoing investigation,” said the airline’s spokesperson.

There were no passengers on board. But two pilots and four cabin crew members were onboard the flight.

After a preliminary review of the information received from the operator, ANSV opened a safety investigation, classifying the event as a serious incident.

On September 20, Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) operator, received its first Airbus A320neo aircraft from its order of 120 A320 Family aircraft placed with Airbus in 2019.

Air Arabia operates from six main hubs: Sharjah International Airport, Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, Mohamed V International Airport in Casablanca, Morocco; Borg Al Arab International Airport in Alexandria, Egypt; Abu Dhabi International Airport in Abu Dhabi; and Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.

The aircraft CN-NML was operated by Air Arabia Maroc, a joint venture company and member of Air Arabia Group. Based in Mohamed V airport in Casablanca, Air Arabia’s second hub, the carrier is Morocco’s low-cost carrier. The airline was launched on April 29, 2009, and offers services to a wide range of European destinations.

Earlier this year, an Air India plane with 244 people on board crashed near Ahmedabad airport on June 12, 2025, soon after taking off. The Air India flight AI171 was headed towards London Gatwick when the incident took place.

• Sharjah

Waheed Abbas

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com

Waheed Abbas is Assistant Editor, covering real estate, aviation and other business stories that directly affect the lives of UAE consumers. He frequently reports human interest stories, too.