SPLIT, Croatia, May 16, 2026, 23:04 (CEST)
- Croatia Airlines said flight OU412 to Frankfurt stopped takeoff at Split Airport. The airline said all 130 passengers and five crew are safe.
- Airbus A220-300 went off the runway while picking up speed, hit airfield markers and caused delays and diversions at Split, according to .
- Croatia’s accident investigation agency has started a safety probe, but the cause isn’t known yet.
Croatia Airlines said an Airbus A220-300 had to abort takeoff at Split Airport on Saturday, running off the runway and damaging the plane. All passengers and crew were not hurt, according to the airline and airport officials.
Croatia Airlines’ new A220, registered 9A-CAN, went off the runway during scheduled flight OU412 from Split to Frankfurt, temporarily disrupting traffic at Split airport. The A220 was delivered in June 2025 under the airline’s fleet renewal plan, according to AvioRadar.
Pilots call off a takeoff when they halt the takeoff roll before the plane lifts off. Here, the jet veered off the pavement while speeding up and stopped with part of the aircraft on the grass next to runway 23, according to FlightGlobal and other aviation media.
Croatia Airlines said the flight was carrying 130 passengers and five crew — two pilots, three cabin crew. “All passengers and crew members are safe, and no injuries have been reported,” the company said in a statement, according to EX-YU Aviation. EX-YU Aviation News
Split Airport deputy director Pero Bilas told Jutarnji list the plane veered off the runway during its takeoff roll for unknown reasons, ending up with one side on the grass. The aircraft hit a vertical sign and runway edge lights and was damaged, according to the report.
Index.hr reported that Split Airport and Croatia Airlines confirmed passengers got off the plane and went to the terminal. Support was being provided for their onward trips. The airport said technical crews were still working to clear the aircraft from the runway.
Croatia’s transport accident agency said a serious incident happened around 13:35 local time, when a landing-gear wheel ran off the asphalt and onto grass after braking. The agency reported minor material damage and said a safety investigation is underway.
Split Airport stopped traffic for a time after the incident, delaying flights and sending inbound planes elsewhere, AvioRadar reported. Index.hr later said the airport reopened around 16:00 local time but delays were still significant.
Darko Petrin, Croatia’s chief air accident investigator, told Jutarnji list the cause isn’t clear yet. Investigators are looking at why the aircraft left the runway during the aborted takeoff.
Croatia Airlines could be without 9A-CAN as technical checks and the official probe continue. Investigators still need to look at aircraft data, hear from the crew, assess the runway and examine maintenance logs before any conclusions, meaning early reports could change. The airline hasn’t said when the jet might return.
A220 at the core of Croatia Airlines’ short-haul revamp. The carrier plans to use the 100- to 150-seat single-aisle jet to lower fuel and operating costs and get more range on European flights, it said.
Croatia Airlines is working with Split Airport, emergency crews and aviation officials after the incident. The company said updates will come once experts finish their first inspections and procedures.
