July 9, 2025: A tragic accident occurred Tuesday morning at Milan Bergamo Airport in Italy, when a man died after being sucked into the engine of a Volotea Airbus A319 preparing to take off. The flight was scheduled to depart for Asturias, Spain.
The incident happened around 10:20 AM local time, forcing the airport to temporarily suspend all flight operations. According to SACBO, the company managing the airport, air traffic resumed around noon after a two-hour halt. The suspension affected both departures and arrivals, with at least 19 flights canceled and nine incoming flights diverted to other airports, including Milan Malpensa.
Reports indicate the man, aged 35, was neither a passenger nor an airport employee. He allegedly ran onto the tarmac while being chased by police and entered the runway through a security door near the baggage claim area. Tragically, he was sucked into the engine of the plane while it was taxiing for takeoff.
Volotea, the airline operating the flight V73511 from Bergamo to Asturias, released a statement confirming the incident and saying they are investigating the matter.
Authorities are conducting inquiries to understand how the man gained access to the runway and the circumstances leading to this fatal accident.