Pegasus Airbus A321 rolls onto runway in opposite direction at Frankfurt

At Frankfurt Airport, a Pegasus Airlines Airbus A321 was given clearance to depart for Istanbul on runway 18 heading south, but the crew drove the aircraft onto the runway heading north. Controllers from Deutsche Flugsicherung observed the mistake at a low speed of roughly 65 km/h and ordered an immediate abort, preventing any danger. The airline’s aircraft was later rerouted and, after a brief pause of seven minutes, lifted off safely toward its intended destination.

The incident was reported to the Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung, which will assess whether a full investigation is warranted. Airport operator Fraport confirmed that a “incident” occurred but offered no further details. Officials described the event as highly unusual for German aviation, though no immediate safety threat was identified.