A man died on Tuesday morning after being sucked into the engine of a Volotea airline plane at the Bergamo-Orio al Serio international airport in northern Italy. The flight was headed to the Asturias/Oviedo airport.
PUBLICIDAD
According to Italian authorities, the incident occurred around 10:20 a.m. local time, while the aircraft - an Airbus A319 - was boarding its 154 passengers and six crew members. The man, whose identity has not yet been revealed, broke onto the runway after going through an emergency door. A police officer and a security guard tried to stop him without success. He reached the left engine of the plane and died immediately after being sucked into the turbine system.
PUBLICIDAD
The man was not part of the passengers or airport personnel. The Italian prosecutor’s office opened an investigation. At the moment, the main hypothesis points to a possible suicide, as the individual ignored several warnings and crossed directly towards the aircraft.
Cancellations and diversions
The airport suspended all its operations after the incident. At least eight flights were canceled and several more were diverted to nearby airports, such as Verona, Bologna, and Milan Malpensa. Operations resumed around noon.
Volotea reported that the rest of the passengers and crew are well. The company activated psychological assistance protocols and rescheduled the flight, which took off at 15:55 local time bound for Asturias, where it landed as scheduled at 18:20.
Security check
Airport authorities and the prosecutor’s office are evaluating how the man managed to access the restricted area without authorization. The incident has raised concerns about the security protocols at one of the busiest airports in northern Italy.