EgyptAir flight avoids mid-air collision in Belgian airspace

Disaster averted: An EgyptAir Airbus A300-600 cargo freighter narrowly avoided a mid-air collision with an Air France Airbus A320-200 over Belgium on New Year’s Day. According to The Aviation Herald, the EgyptAir flight MSX-541 was instructed three times to climb and maintain a certain altitude but told to stop as the Air France flight approached. However, the aircraft continued to climb above the specified altitude, putting it on a converging trajectory with the Air France flight, which then had to quickly increase its altitude to avoid a mid-air collision. Belgium’s Air Accident Investigation Unit rated the occurrence a serious incident.