A tragic incident occurred at Milan Bergamo Airport in Italy Tuesday, leaving a 35-year-old man dead after he was sucked into the engine of a Volotea Airbus A319, according to Italian authorities and media reports.
The man, who was neither a passenger nor an airport employee, reportedly broke through a security barrier and ran toward the aircraft parked on the taxiway. Authorities suspect the incident may have been a suicide.
Reports say the man left his car near the terminal and entered the arrivals area on the ground floor before opening a security gate leading directly to the aircraft parking zone.
The plane, bound for Asturias, was performing a pushback manoeuvre to leave the parking area when the incident happened, Italian media reported.
Volotea confirmed that a total of 154 passengers were on the plane, along with six employees, two pilots and four cabin crew. In a post on X, Volotea also wrote that they are doing everything to support the affected passengers and crew, and providing them with psychological support.
Flight operations were suspended from 10:20 a.m. to midday local time. SACBO, the airport operator, said in a statement, “Operations are suspended due to an aircraft grounded on the runway because of technical problems. Departing flights are delayed, and arrivals may be diverted or cancelled.”
A total of nine flights were diverted and six rerouted, while eight departures were cancelled. The airport resumed operations after midday local time, CNN reported.
