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Flights at Misrata International Airport in Libya were suspended after a private jet arriving from Istanbul ran off the runway and caught fire during landing Monday, while the three-member flight crew escaped without injuries.
The Cessna Citation Latitude, registered as TC-AKF, took off from Istanbul Ataturk Airport at 5:45 a.m. and flew to Misrata to pick up passengers, without any passengers on board.
The jet ran off the runway after touching down and caught fire. Airport firefighters responded to the blaze, while ARFF teams rescued the two pilots and one cabin crew member from the aircraft. The crew was reported to be in good condition, and all three escaped without injury.
Libya's Transportation Ministry said it suspended flights after the incident. Emergency authorities moved in to contain the blaze and ensure air navigation safety at the airport, with measures underway to clear the way for flights to resume, the ministry said.
Misrata International Airport is one of Libya's main airports, located about 7 kilometers (4.35 miles) south of the city of Misrata. The airport has a passenger capacity of 500,000 and five ground stations, according to Libya's Airports Authority.
The Cessna Citation Latitude is a midsize business jet designed by Cessna, part of U.S.-based Textron, with a capacity of 9 passengers. Turkish media reported that Turkish businessman Hamdi Akin owns the aircraft.
Akin, who leads Türkiye-based conglomerate Akfen Holding, ranks among the top 10 richest people in Türkiye, with a fortune of $2.6 billion, according to Forbes' list.
In a statement, Akfen Holding confirmed that the aircraft belongs to the conglomerate and is operated by BKNJET Aviation Co. The group added that the operator had informed the company that authorities were continuing their investigation into the cause of the accident.
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