Split Airport reopens after “serious” Iberia incident


Split Airport temporarily suspended operations on yesterday afternoon after an Iberia Airbus A320 aircraft sustained damage to its nose landing gear while arriving from Madrid. Flight IB945 landed at 16:22 local time on August 1 but became immobilised on the runway after a tyre on the nose gear burst. The aircraft, registered EC-IZH, was carrying 172 passengers and six crew members. “All passengers disembarked safely and were taken to the passenger terminal to collect their baggage and continue their journeys. The runway was temporarily closed while the aircraft was being removed and the conditions necessary for the resumption of air traffic were being secured”, Split Airport spokesperson, Mate Melvan, said.


Croatia’s Air, Maritime and Railway Traffic Accidents Investigation Agency has classified the occurrence as a serious incident and has opened a safety investigation. The agency said it had been notified immediately by Split Airport and the Croatian Interior Ministry’s operations and communications centre. The investigation will seek to establish the circumstances surrounding the damage to the nose landing gear. The aircraft remained on the runway following the incident, forcing the airport to suspend all arrivals and departures while technical teams worked to remove it. The runway was subsequently inspected and cleared of any potential debris before reopening at approximately 18:30, just over two hours after the incident.

The closure resulted in delays, cancellations and diversions during one of the busiest weekends of the summer travel season. A Eurowings service from Cologne was redirected to Zagreb, while Croatia Airlines flights from Lyon and Berlin and a Wizz Air service from Katowice diverted to Zadar. Two easyJet flights from London Gatwick and Luton were redirected to Dubrovnik. The incident also resulted in considerable congestion inside Split Airport’s terminal, where some affected passengers reportedly waited for up to five hours.


It marked Split Airport’s second major operational disruption within 24 hours. Traffic had been suspended for approximately two hours the previous evening due to repeated drone activity near the runway, which also resulted in delays, cancellations and significant congestion inside the terminal.


Comments

  1. Anonymous09:26

    Must have been fun in the terminal

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:02

      Not fun indeed. Split Airport can't control tyre failures but it can improve communication with passengers during disruptions.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:15

      Bro was being sarcastic.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous09:28

    Glad everyone on the Iberia flight got off safely.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous09:29

    Hopefully that's the end of the bad luck for Split this summer.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous09:29

    It's interesting that the incident has been classified as a serious incident. It will be worth seeing what the investigation concludes about the nose gear failure.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous09:42

    Did passengers feel anything upon landing?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous09:45

    Peak August weekend and two consecutive disruptions. That's about the worst timing imaginable.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:06

      Did anyone get arrested for flying the drones near the airport?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:56

      No

      Delete
  7. Anonymous09:48

    This wasn't anybody's fault, just unfortunate circumstances.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:07

      How can you know that? There is a reason there is an investigation taking place.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:53

      @10:07 you realise this occurs all the time around the world?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous11:55

      It is the Croatian authorities that have categorised it as a "serious incident". Not me

      Delete
  8. Anonymous09:48

    I'm surprised operations resumed in just over two hours.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:50

      Yes me too. They also managed to clear the Croatia Airlines plane very quickly.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:01

      good contingency planning I guess

      Delete
    3. Anonymous12:59

      Well done indeed!

      Delete
  9. Anonymous10:01

    Bad weekend for Split Airport

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:07

      And it's one of the busiest of the year.

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    2. Anonymous11:51

      ^ it is the busiest actually

      Delete
  10. Anonymous10:02

    At least we know the Iberia flight was almost completely full :D

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:06

      Considering it was a fully loaded A320 with 172 passengers, the outcome was as good as anyone could hope for.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous10:15

    "Serious incident" - they must really be bored.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:32

      Well the airport was closed for hours.

      Delete
  12. Anonymous10:34

    EC-IZH, MSN 2225: 22 yrs. old plane.
    Time for retirement

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:33

      Not really. The tire might be new.

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    2. Anonymous11:53

      @10:34 Thats not that old.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous11:56

      Landing gear is periodically replaced/overhauled on aircraft, usually around 10 years or certain number of cycles, so it's likely this aircraft is on its third set.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous10:35

    Not the first time

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous11:52

    This where a second runway would help

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:55

      In fact why stop with a second? They could build a third and fourth in just to be sure.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:55

      Are you setiously saying SPU needs a second runway?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous11:58

      Sure, but at what cost? Another runway can easily cost a few hundred million of EUR, and if that's just to avoid airport close for a few hours once every 5-10 years... not sure it's worth it.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous12:19

      @11:55 I would assume they are joking. Because either that or they have never actually been to Split, or taken the time to look at even the most basic of maps.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous12:21

      @11:58 Its not even cost that is the issue. Its is the fact there isn't a damn meter of flat land near Split airport. Its one of Europe's most scenic airports located against mountains and very close to Trogir and Kaštela. So i assume 11:52 was making a joke :)

      Delete
  15. Anonymous12:56

    Considering the amount of traffic at SPU in summer, it does relatively well in terms of disruption

    ReplyDelete

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