Jess Battison
Warning: This article contains content which some readers may find distressing
More details have emerged over exactly what happened when a person was ‘sucked into’ a plane engine yesterday morning (8 July).
Milano Bergamo airport’s flight operations were suspended at 10:20 am local time (9:20 am BST) due to ‘a problem that occurred on the taxiway’.
A number of flights were cancelled and suspended as emergency responders attended the scene with the airport saying at the time: “The causes of the problem are currently being investigated by the authorities."
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With air traffic resuming within two hours, the airport’s operator has since said it was ‘neither a passenger nor an employee of any company operating at the airport’.
Italian media has now named the victim as 35-year-old Andrea Russo from the Calcinate county in Bergamo, Lombardy.
A press release sent by the airport last night explains that he managed to enter the aircraft apron ‘despite the prompt intervention of the law enforcement officers present’.
“The person then proceeded to the taxiway, where they approached a stationary commercial aircraft with engines running and tragically lost their life,” it continued.
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“The exact circumstances of the incident are under investigation by the judicial authorities, to whom SACBO continues to provide full cooperation.”
It is reported that Russo is believed to have broken into the Italian airport by driving the wrong way down a road, abandoning his car and then running into the terminal.
Public Prosecutor Maurizio Romanelli said: “We are investigating on any possible relationships with the airport or the world of aeroplanes.
“In the car with which he arrived at the airport, full of all kinds of material, we have not found anything that could provide any kind of explanation.”
It is said Russo was inside the ground floor of the arrivals area when he opened a security door, leading directly to the aircraft parking area.
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La voce del Patriota reports that officers were unable to stop the builder as he ran toward the Airbus A319 Volotea plane, bound for Asturias, Spain.
Giovanni Sanga, President of SACBO (which runs Bergamo airport), said: “Today’s tragic event has deeply shaken the entire airport community. First and foremost, I express my personal condolences and those of the company to the victim’s family, to whom we extend our heartfelt support during this terrible time.
“From the outset, in addition to ensuring the immediate management of the emergency and assistance to passengers and crew, we have also focused our attention on the colleagues who witnessed the episode and were deeply affected by it.”
Volotea told LADbible: "Volotea confirms that flight V7-3511, an Airbus A319, with registration EC-MTF, operating from Milan-Bergamo (BGY) to Asturias (OVD), was involved in an incident at Milan-Bergamo Airport at 10:35h local time (8:35h UTC) today.
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"A person, who was not a passenger or airport personnel, trespassed onto the runway while the aircraft was preparing for takeoff. Sadly, the person was struck by the engine and has passed away. The airline deeply regrets this tragic incident and extends its condolences to the family of the person involved.
"All 154 passengers on board, along with the 6 Volotea crew members, are physically safe. Passengers were promptly deboarded and taken to a designated area, where provisions were made available. Psychological support was also offered to both passengers and crew members. The affected passengers were rebooked on another Volotea flight that departed at 16:43h local time and landed in Asturias at 18:50h local time. The airline also deployed additional staff at Asturias Airport to receive passengers and provide support upon arrival.
"Volotea has fully cooperated with local authorities and Milan-Bergamo Airport throughout the investigation. The airline would like to express its gratitude to its crew for their swift response and support of passengers, as well as to its passengers for their cooperation during this difficult situation.
"The safety and well-being of Volotea’s passengers, crew, and airport partners is the airline's top priority. The airline expresses its condolences once again to all those affected by this incident."