Private jet skids off runway at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport leaving four injured

ISTANBUL

A private jet crashed while making an emergency landing on Sept. 21 at Istanbul Atatürk International Airport and burst into flames, leaving four injured, officials said. 

The incident forced the temporary closure of Istanbul’s main international airport, which later reopened for passengers.

Istanbul Gov. Vasip Şahin said the Cessna Citation plane had two pilots on board, one crew member and one passenger, all Turkish citizens. 

“Their condition is well, there were no fatalities and they are undergoing treatment at the hospital,” he said, quoted by state-run Anadolu Agency. 

“Flights have been affected for a short time but are now returning to normal,” he added.

Şahin said the plane sped off the runway and caught on fire but those on board were able to climb out of the aircraft themselves. 

The chairman of Turkey’s flag carrier Turkish Airlines Bilal Ekşi wrote on Twitter that air traffic resumed with the operation of a single runway and that both were back in use now. 

The airport’s website showed some delays were ongoing, in particular for incoming flights. 

The plane had taken off from the airport to fly to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus but had turned back to land at the airport due to a technical problem when it took off the runway. 

There were no further details on the cause of the plane’s troubles. 

Images showed the stricken wreck of the plane on the airport apron, covered in firefighting foam and apparently split in two. 

Other pictures show a plume of black smoke rising up from the airport. 

Atatürk Airport is one of the busiest hubs in Europe, handling up to 1,500 arrivals and departures a day. 

Air traffic has grown exponentially in Turkey in the last years and the airport is operating at full capacity.

The authorities plan to open a giant new airport in Istanbul next year that will eventually replace the Atatürk Airport.