Man Killed After Being Sucked Into Jet Engine at Milan Airport

A man died in a tragic accident at Milan’s Orio al Serio Airport on Tuesday morning after being pulled into the engine of a departing passenger jet, prompting the temporary suspension of all flight operations.

The incident occurred around 10:20 a.m. local time, when the man—reported to be approximately 35 years old—ran onto the tarmac and into the path of a Volotea Airbus A319, which was preparing to depart for Asturias, Spain.

Authorities have yet to confirm whether the victim was a passenger or an airport employee.

Airport sources said the fatal accident happened during the aircraft’s pushback maneuver. The cause of the incident is under investigation.

Airport operator SACBO confirmed a “problem on the taxiway,” adding that authorities are working to determine the circumstances. In a statement, Volotea said it was investigating the incident, acknowledging that a person had sustained fatal injuries involving the plane’s engine.

Following the accident, all flights at Orio al Serio—Italy’s third-busiest airport—were suspended, causing multiple diversions and cancellations.

By 11:50 a.m., at least nine flights had been rerouted to alternative airports including Bologna, Verona, and Milan Malpensa. Several Ryanair departures were among the flights cancelled.

Flight operations resumed at noon local time, according to SACBO.

Orio al Serio Airport, also known as Milan Bergamo, handled 17.4 million passengers last year and is a key hub for budget airline Ryanair.

It forms part of the Milan airport system alongside Milan Linate and Milan Malpensa, which together represent Italy’s largest air traffic hub.

The incident follows another recent airport emergency in Europe, when a false fire alarm at Palma Airport triggered a chaotic evacuation, injuring 18 passengers.