Safair B734 and France B773 at Johannesburg on Oct 17th 2025, cleared to land on occupied runway

Last Update: November 14, 2025 / 18:12:50 GMT/Zulu time

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Incident Facts

Date of incident
Oct 17, 2025

Classification
Incident

Airline
Safair

Flight number
FA-249

Departure
East London, South Africa

Destination
Johannesburg, South Africa

Aircraft Registration
ZS-OAF

Aircraft Type
Boeing 737-400

ICAO Type Designator
B734

A Safair Boeing 737-400, registration ZS-OAF performing flight FA-249 from East London to Johannesburg (South Africa), was on an ILS approach to Johannesburg's runway 03R when approach instructed the crew to change over to runway 03L for a visual approach. The crew repositioned for runway 03L and heard some exchange on radio of an aircraft at the holding point runway 03L. The crew subsequently spotted lights from a vehicle or aircraft on the runway and decided to go around at about 500 feet AGL.

An Air France Boeing 777-300, registration F-GZNJ performing flight AF-995 from Johannesburg (South Africa) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (France), was taxiing for departure, lined up runway 03L when FA-249 was descending through about 3000 feet AGL and waited in position.

About two minutes after AF-995 had lined up the runway FA-249 initiated the go around.

AF-995 departed about 8 minutes after lining up. FA-249 positioned for another approach to runway 03L and landed without further incident about 20 minutes after the go around.

South Africa's SAAID rated the occurrence a serious incident and opened an investigation. The SAAID reported the approach controller instructed FA-249, who had been on an ILS approach to runway 03R, about 5nm before touchdown to reposition for a visual approach to runway 03L, which the crew complied with. The crew was subsequently handed off to tower and was cleared to land on runway 03L. During the final approach the crew noticed lights from a vehicle or aircraft at the holding point runway 03L. After hearing transmissions from another aircraft reporting their position at the holding point runway 03L the crew called for a go around, tower acknowledged, and the crew initiated a normal go around from about 500 feet AGL and returned for a normal landing on runway 03L.
Incident Facts

Date of incident
Oct 17, 2025

Classification
Incident

Airline
Safair

Flight number
FA-249

Departure
East London, South Africa

Destination
Johannesburg, South Africa

Aircraft Registration
ZS-OAF

Aircraft Type
Boeing 737-400

ICAO Type Designator
B734

This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
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