July 08, (THEWILL) — Flight operations at Orio al Serio Airport, also known as Milan Bergamo Airport, were suspended on Tuesday following a tragic incident in which a man was killed after being sucked into a plane engine on the runway.
According to Italian news outlet Corriere della Sera, the unidentified victim was neither a passenger nor an airport employee.
He is believed to have run onto the tarmac and into the path of an Airbus A319 aircraft operated by low-cost airline Volotea, which was preparing to depart for Asturias, Spain.
Airport sources told the newspaper that the man was pulled into the aircraft’s engine in a horrifying moment just as the plane was taxiing for takeoff around 10:20 a.m.
Volotea confirmed the incident in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “We’re investigating reports of an incident involving our flight V73511 BGY-OVD, which occurred on the ground after boarding was completed and the aircraft was ready for departure.
We are aware that one individual has sustained serious injuries involving the aircraft engine. More information will be shared soon.”
Airport operator SACBO also issued a statement, saying that investigations are ongoing.
“The causes of the problem are currently being investigated by the authorities,” the statement read.
As of the time of reporting, all flight operations at Milan Bergamo Airport have been suspended while emergency services and investigators continue their work at the scene.
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