A tragic incident unfolded at Milan Bergamo Airport on Monday (July 8), after a man reportedly forced his way through a secure door and ran onto the tarmac, where he was fatally pulled into a plane’s jet engine.

Airport operations were immediately suspended following the event, causing widespread disruption to flights throughout the morning. According to a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), airport operator SACBO announced that flight operations were halted at 10:20 am due to “a problem that occurred on the taxiway,” with authorities launching an investigation into the cause.

Air Traffic Temporarily Suspended

A follow-up statement confirmed that air traffic at the country’s third-busiest airport resumed at 12 pm, though significant delays and cancellations continued into the afternoon.

The Lombardy Airports Association also addressed the situation online, warning travelers of serious issues on the airport apron and advising that delays, diversions, and cancellations were likely.

How the Incident Happened

Italian media reports state that the accident occurred as the aircraft — an Airbus A319 operated by Spanish low-cost airline Volotea — was preparing for takeoff.

After passengers had boarded, the aircraft began its routine “pushback” maneuver, during which the plane is moved out of the parking area toward the taxiway. At that moment, the man reportedly forced open a door in the baggage claim area and ran directly into the path of the active aircraft engine. It remains unclear whether he was an airport employee, a passenger, or someone who entered the airport from outside.

Data from Flightradar24 shows that the Milan–Asturias flight had been moving for less than two minutes before the tragedy occurred.

Widespread Flight Disruptions

Following the incident, multiple flights were diverted or canceled. As of late morning:

• One flight was rerouted to Bologna

• Two flights were sent to Verona

• Six others were redirected to Milan Malpensa

• A Ryanair flight to Birmingham scheduled for 3:05 pm remained unaffected

Despite operations resuming, most flights scheduled in the following hours continued to face delays.

Authorities Investigating

Emergency responders, including firefighters, police, and airport technicians, quickly arrived on the scene. Investigators are now working to determine how the man accessed the restricted area and what led to the deadly sequence of events.

SACBO reiterated that the cause of the incident is still under investigation.