Ethiopian B777 freighter suffers fire in Shanghai

An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 777 freighter has caught fire at Shanghai Pudong airport while cargo was being loaded. 

The carrier said in a statement that the aircraft is registered ET-ARH and was on a regular scheduled cargo service from Shanghai Pudong to Sao Paulo, and onward to Santiago. 

Videos and photos on social media show a large part of the freighter’s aft section burnt away. While the fire’s cause is unknown, the footage indicates that it has been brought under control. 

Ethiopian Airlines cargo B777 caught fire while loading freight at Shanghai airport in China, hope all crew members are safe @flyethiopian. pic.twitter.com/Gsd8VBSrG7

— Antonio M. Nahom ? (@RasAntonio19) July 22, 2020

Ethiopian confirmed that the fire has been contained. All ground staff and flying crew are safe, it added. 

Data from flight tracking site Flightradar24 showed that the freighter landed in Shanghai close to noon local time, operating flight ET3738 from Brussels. 

Cirium fleets data shows that the Star Alliance carrier operates 10 777Fs, with an average age of 4.3 years. 

Ethiopian said it is working with the relevant authorities to investigate the incident.