Man tragically dies on Milan airport runway during flight preparations

Flights were grounded at Bergamo airport in Milan after a man died on a runway during take off preparations for a flight. Operations were suspended from 10.20am to midday local time on Tuesday 'due to a problem that occurred on the taxiway', the airport said in a statement. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. Italian media reported that an individual was 'sucked into the engine of a plane that was preparing for takeoff'.

A spokesperson confirmed that a man had died, adding that he was neither a passenger nor a member of airport staff. Local media said the plane involved was a Volotea Airbus A319 bound for Asturias airport, manoeuvring out of the parking area. The airport, known for its low-cost airline connections to and from nearby Milan, was temporarily closed on Tuesday after a man died on a runway during take off preparations for a flight. Operations were suspended for less than two hours, resuming at 12pm local time.

Bergamo airport is the third-busiest international airport in Italy, which served almost 17.4 million passengers in 2024. It is also one of Ryanair's three largest operating bases, along with Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport. The airport temporarily suspended flights last October after four tires on a Ryanair-operated flight burst on the runway after landing, forcing the plane to a stop. Some 450 metres of the runway was damaged.

According to the source: The Independent.