- A Croatia Airlines Airbus A220 veered off the runway during an aborted takeoff at Split Airport on May 16, 2026.
- All 137 passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft safely with no injuries reported following the incident.
- Authorities are investigating the cause of the runway excursion which caused damage to airport lighting and signs.
(SPLIT, CROATIA) – Croatia Airlines said an Airbus A220-300 veered off the runway during an aborted takeoff at Split Airport on May 16, 2026, prompting an investigation into the cause of the incident.
The aircraft, registered 9A-CAN, operated flight OU412 from Split to Frankfurt when the crew rejected the takeoff on Runway 23. During the takeoff roll, the plane drifted left, left the pavement and came to rest partly on the grass after striking a vertical sign and runway edge lights.
Croatia Airlines said 132 passengers and 5 crew members were on board, including 2 pilots and 3 cabin crew. All passengers and crew evacuated safely, and no injuries were reported.
Mate Melvan, head of passenger handling at Split Airport, said the aircraft veered off the runway during its takeoff roll “for reasons yet unknown” and ended up partly on the grass.
The plane involved was a Croatia Airlines Airbus A220-300, a newer aircraft type in the carrier’s fleet. Its registration, 9A-CAN, identified the jet that had been scheduled to operate the service from Split to Frankfurt.
Split Airport, also known as SPU, is in Kastela on Croatia’s Adriatic coast. The incident occurred on Runway 23 as the aircraft accelerated for departure.
After the excursion, the aircraft was towed away. Airport operations later resumed, though several flights were delayed, canceled or diverted.
Those disruptions followed the removal of the aircraft from the runway area and the restoration of normal airport movements. No further passenger injuries were reported during the evacuation or its aftermath.
The investigation remained underway on Monday. Authorities had not determined why the aircraft veered off the runway after the crew aborted the takeoff.
Early facts released by the airline and airport officials fixed the broad outline of the event: the date was May 16, 2026; the flight was OU412; the route was Split to Frankfurt; and the aircraft was an Airbus A220-300 bearing registration 9A-CAN.
The safety outcome was clear even as the cause remained under review. All 137 people on board, made up of 132 passengers and 5 crew, got off the aircraft safely, with no injuries reported.
Damage was reported to the aircraft, which struck a vertical sign and runway edge lights before stopping partly on the grass beside the runway. Investigators are now examining the aborted takeoff at Split Airport, where the flight from Croatia to Germany ended before it ever left the ground.
