Spanish civil aviation investigators are examining a serious traffic conflict involving a SAS Connect Airbus A320neo approaching Málaga on 6 July 2026. Flight 1817 from Stockholm was cleared to land, then went around after the cockpit received a TCAS alert showing a firefighting aircraft at roughly the same altitude and about 0.8 miles away.
The aircraft completed a second approach and landed safely. The incident took place during the wildfires affecting southern Spain in July 2026, which explains the presence of the firefighting aircraft in the area. The event involved a commercial passenger jet and a specialised emergency aircraft in shared airspace, raising questions over traffic management during the fire response.
CIAIAC, Spain’s civil aviation accident authority, is investigating the critical traffic situation before Málaga. No injuries or damage were reported. The case adds to scrutiny of coordination between civilian traffic and firefighting operations in busy summer airspace around the Spanish coast.