Milan Bergamo airport closure: Flights delayed and dozens cancelled after man’s death on runway

Thousands of airline passengers have had their journeys disrupted as a result of a tragedy at Milan Bergamo airport on Tuesday morning.

Flights were grounded at the airport, northeast of Milan after a man was “sucked into the engine of a plane that was preparing for takeoff”, according to Italian media.

The aircraft involved is believed to be a Volotea Airbus A319 destined for Asturias in northern Spain. Flight 3511 is shown on the tracking website Flightradar24 as departing later in the day, using a different aircraft.

Immediately after the incident arrivals and departures were suspended from 10.20am to midday, The airport said in a statement that it was “due to a problem that occurred on the taxiway”.

Diversions began at once, with a Ryanair jet from Trapani in Sicily flying a holding circuit before changing course for Malpensa airport, northwest of Milan.

Malpensa was the destination of four other Ryanair diversions. Two planes went to Verona, and one to Bologna.

The previous day large-scale diversions had take place due to storms in the region.

Ryanair, the main user of Bergamo, has cancelled a dozen departures and the corresponding inbound flights.

Other flights are running way behind schedule. The afternoon link from Bristol to Bergamo on Ryanair is expected to be three hours late, with the service in the opposite direction delayed by eight hours.

Under European air passengers’ rights rules, delayed travellers are entitled to meals and refreshments while they are waiting. Those whose flights are cancelled can ask to be rebooked on other services as soon as possible.

The Italian authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.