(CNN) An Ethiopian Airlines plane mistakenly landed at an unopened airport still under construction in Zambia, the carrier confirmed Monday.
The flight — a cargo service traveling from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and destined for Ndola, Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe Airport — instead landed Sunday at Zambia’s new Copperbelt International Airport, which has not yet been inaugurated, the airline said in a statement.
The flight — ET 3891 — made a safe landing in the new airport, Ethiopian Airlines added.
The Copperbelt International Airport is about 21 kilometers (13 miles) from Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe Airport by car.
The transport ministry’s permanent secretary Misheck Lungu said the pilot had landed at the unopened airport “by error.”
