On approach to Jeddah Airport in Saudi Arabia, a Saudi Arabian Airlines Airbus A330 was hit by hail, causing damage to the nose cone and cockpit windshield.
As part of flight SV-452 from Khartoum, Sudan, the Airbus A330-300 with the registration HZ-AQ25 was making its way to Jeddah. Flight SV452 entered a hold at a high altitude prior to landing to wait for the weather to clear up after intense rain and strong hailstorms above Jeddah.
The crew made an approach attempt at first, but then they climbed back to 19,000 feet and prepared for another approach. On its second approach, Flight SV452 eventually touched down encountering significant hail and turbulence.
The flight landed safely at 11:14, about 45 minutes after entering the first hold. No one was injured in the incident, however, the Airbus aircraft suffered significant damage due to the hail.
