All flights at Milan Bergamo Airport were suspended for nearly two hours on Tuesday morning after a man was killed by an aircraft engine. According to Italy’s national news agency ANSA, the man was sucked into the engine of a Volotea plane preparing for take-off.
The aircraft, an Airbus A319, was due to fly from Milan Bergamo to Asturias in northern Spain. The incident occurred shortly after boarding was completed and the plane began taxiing away from the terminal.
Emergency services responded swiftly, and an investigation is now underway. Authorities are working to determine how the man gained access to the restricted area. ANSA reports that he was neither a passenger nor an airport employee and may have entered the area with the intention of taking his own life.
The man’s identity has not been released.
The airport, also known as Il Caravaggio International, is around 60 kilometres east of Milan. It confirmed the suspension of flight operations between 10:20 and 12:00 local time, describing the event as a “problem on the taxiway.” During that time, at least eight departing flights were cancelled and arriving planes were diverted to nearby airports, including Bologna, Verona, and Milan Malpensa.
Authorities have not commented on how the individual bypassed security measures. Investigations are ongoing.
