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Flights were suspended for nearly two hours at Milan Bergamo International Airport after a 35-year-old man was tragically killed when he ran onto the runway and was sucked into the engine of a passenger plane preparing for takeoff.
Police told UKNIP that the man voluntarily entered the engine of a Volotea Airlines flight, which was preparing to depart for Asturias, Spain. Authorities have confirmed he was neither a passenger nor an employee of the airline or the airport.
Incident Timeline
According to investigators and eyewitness reports:
- The man drove the wrong way down a road leading to the airport terminal.
- He then abandoned his car, ran through the arrivals area, and accessed the runway via an emergency exit.
- Despite efforts by police and airport security, he managed to reach the aircraft, where he ran toward the spinning engine and was fatally injured.
Airport Response and Flight Disruption
The airport temporarily suspended operations from 10:20am to noon local time (9:20am–11:00am UK time), describing the event only as a “problem that occurred on the taxiway” in their initial public statement.
The affected flight, Volotea V73511, was later rescheduled to depart at 3:55pm local time. The airline confirmed that all 154 passengers and six crew members were unharmed, and the aircraft was removed from service for safety inspection.
Volotea Statement
In a statement shared on social media, Volotea said:
“We regret to confirm flight V73511 from BGY to OVD was involved in an incident at Milan-Bergamo Airport at 10:35h. One person not onboard and not affiliated with the company was seriously injured.
All 154 passengers and 6 crew are safe. We are doing everything possible to support those affected, providing psychological assistance while working closely with Italian authorities.”
Ongoing Investigation
Italian police are now leading the investigation and are working to formally identify the man and determine his motive. Early reports suggest there were no signs of terrorism and the man may have been in a state of mental distress.
Flights Resume
Flights resumed shortly after noon, and the airport is now operating normally. However, delays and rescheduling affected several outbound flights throughout the afternoon.
