Simple Flying
Josh Eyre
06 Feb 2026
A Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight narrowly avoided a major incident at Brussels Airport after a serious ground navigation error during departure.
The incident occurred on Thursday, February 5, 2026, involving SAS flight SK2590, scheduled to operate from Brussels Airport (BRU) to Copenhagen Airport (CPH). The aircraft began accelerating for takeoff on a taxiway instead of the assigned runway, but the pilots recognized the mistake and brought the aircraft to a stop. None of the 135 passengers and crew onboard were injured.
At this time, the incident itself is considered unrelated to weather or airport congestion. Aviation safety authorities are now reviewing how a routine departure clearance progressed into a high-speed rejected takeoff on an incorrect surface. The event is being treated as a serious runway safety incident.
According to media reports and available tracking data, SAS Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A320neo, registered as SE-ROM, operating flight SK-2590 from Brussels, Belgium, to Copenhagen, Denmark, was taxiing via the outer taxiway (Out-10) and had been cleared for takeoff from runway 07R.
However, at approximately 22:03 local time (21:03 UTC), the aircraft mistakenly lined up on the parallel taxiway E1 rather than the runway and began its takeoff roll along taxiways E1, F2, and V1.
As the taxiway narrowed, the flight crew rejected the takeoff at high speed, estimated at around 107 knots, and brought the aircraft to a stop at the V1/C1 taxiway intersection, close to fuel tanks and partially off the paved surface.
Investigators will review whether cockpit workload, expectation bias, airport geometry, or any other factors played a role in the crew’s presumed misidentification of the taxiway.
They are also likely to check technical aspects of the aircraft to see whether that played any role in the incident. Air traffic control instructions were reportedly correct, shifting the focus toward flight-deck verification procedures during the lineup.
107 Knots To Disaster: How Close An SAS Jet Came To The Fuel Farm - Simple Flying - 06 Feb 2026
