Air Arabia Flight’s Scary Near-Crash Over the Mediterranean Triggers Urgent Safety Probe

An Air Arabia plane came dangerously close to the sea moments after takeoff from Sicily

For the passengers and crew aboard Air Arabia’s Airbus A320, it could have been a nightmare straight out of a movie, a plane plummeting toward the dark waters of the Mediterranean Sea before miraculously regaining control. Fortunately, this time, there were no passengers onboard. But the chilling close call has raised serious questions about flight safety, pilot training, and the ever-present unpredictability of the skies.

Italy’s air safety regulator, Agenzia Nazionale Per La Sicurezza Del Volo (ANSV), confirmed that the event took place on September 20, 2025, shortly after the aircraft departed Catania Airport in Sicily en route to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan. At precisely 21:57 UTC, the Air Arabia Airbus A320 — identified as CN-NML, triggered its Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS). This advanced safety feature alerts pilots when an aircraft comes dangerously close to the ground or sea.

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According to the ANSV’s report, the system sounded a “Pull Up! Pull Up!” alarm when the jet descended alarmingly low, “reaching a short distance from the sea surface.” Thankfully, the pilots managed to stabilize the aircraft and continue the journey safely. The incident, however, was serious enough to trigger a formal safety investigation, now underway in Italy.

Air Arabia Responds

In an official statement to Khaleej Times, an Air Arabia Maroc spokesperson confirmed awareness of the probe and expressed full cooperation with investigators. “Air Arabia Maroc places the highest importance on safety and transparency,” the airline said. “We are fully cooperating with the Italian National Agency for Flight Safety (ANSV) as part of the ongoing investigation.” The spokesperson also clarified that the flight was a ferry operation, meaning there were no passengers on board, only two pilots and four cabin crew members.

While this drastically reduced the potential human toll, aviation experts note that even empty flights are crucial test cases for airline safety protocols. A near-miss like this one could expose gaps in training, autopilot systems, or terrain awareness features that need urgent attention. The plane involved, CN-NML, is part of Air Arabia Maroc’s expanding fleet, a subsidiary of Air Arabia Group, the Middle East and North Africa’s largest low-cost carrier. Based in Casablanca’s Mohamed V International Airport, the Moroccan arm of the airline was established in 2009 as a joint venture.

Interestingly, the date of the incident coincided with Air Arabia’s public announcement that it had just received its first Airbus A320neo aircraft, part of a massive 120-plane order from Airbus placed in 2019. The timing has prompted speculation about whether this ferry flight was part of internal fleet repositioning or delivery operations.

Air Arabia currently operates out of six major hubs:

• Sharjah International Airport
• Ras Al Khaimah International Airport
• Mohamed V International Airport (Casablanca, Morocco)
• Borg Al Arab International Airport (Alexandria, Egypt)
• Abu Dhabi International Airport
• Jinnah International Airport (Karachi, Pakistan)

The airline’s growth and safety record have been largely positive, making this latest incident a rare blemish on an otherwise solid reputation.

A Growing Concern in the Aviation World

This Air Arabia incident isn’t the first alarming event of 2025. Just months earlier, on June 12, an Air India flight (AI171) carrying 244 passengers crashed near Ahmedabad Airport, minutes after takeoff for London Gatwick. While the causes of that tragedy remain under investigation, it underscores how fragile air safety can be, even with modern aircraft and cutting-edge navigation systems.

For aviation analysts, these back-to-back incidents are a wake-up call for regulators, especially as global flight operations ramp up post-pandemic. With pilot shortages, congested airspace, and increasing automation, the human factor remains the most unpredictable element in aviation safety.

As investigators comb through data from the flight recorder and cockpit voice recorder, the world will be waiting for answers. Was it a technical malfunction? Pilot error? Or a momentary lapse in communication between systems and crew?

Whatever the findings, this near-disaster serves as a powerful reminder that aviation safety is a living science, one that depends not just on machines, but on constant vigilance, training, and accountability. Air Arabia, like many modern airlines, has long prided itself on affordability, efficiency, and reliability. But as this incident shows, even the most trusted names in aviation are just one warning alarm away from catastrophe. Still, credit must go to the pilots, whose quick response likely saved the aircraft, their colleagues, and perhaps the reputation of a major airline.

For now, the Mediterranean will keep its secrets. But as the investigation unfolds, one truth remains clear: the line between safety and tragedy in the skies is as thin as the air itself.