VALLETTA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Malta International Airport (MIA) was closed for just under one hour on Friday after a Ryanair plane crashed into a fuel bowser while it was being towed to its position.
The airport said in a statement that the accident, in which no one was injured as the plane was empty at the time, occurred at 11.29 a.m. (0929 GMT). It said investigations were under way. Preliminary findings showed that the plane detached from the tow truck and continued moving forward until it came to a halt after crashing into the fuel bowser.
The crash resulted in an oil spill onto the apron, so the airport fire brigade was called on scene to remove the oil hazard.
The airport reopened at 12.20 p.m. and the flight schedule resumed, although most flights were delayed.
According to the MIA, a flight operated by Lufthansa from Frankfurt was diverted to Catania in nearby Sicily, while another flight operated by Tunisair from Tunis-Carthage was diverted to Tunis. Enditem