Passenger Jet Exits Runway in Snowy Conditions
An aircraft operated by LOT Polish Airlines slid off the runway at Vilnius Airport in Lithuania on Thursday, leading to significant disruption. The incident, which occurred amidst heavy snowfall, prompted officials to temporarily close the runway, though no injuries were reported.
Safe Evacuation Amid Challenging Weather
The aircraft involved was an Embraer 170, flight number LO771 from Warsaw. It landed at Vilnius airport at 1.34pm local time. While taxiing toward its stand after landing, the plane veered off the paved surface of the taxiway.
Tadas Vasiliauskas, a representative from Lithuanian Airports, provided reassurance, confirming to The Independent that all 63 passengers and four crew members were safely disembarked. "All passengers have been safely disembarked, transferred to the terminal, collected their baggage, and have already departed the airport," he stated.
He further emphasised that no injuries were identified following initial assessments.
Operational Impact and Ongoing Response
In response to the incident, the runway at Vilnius Airport was temporarily closed. Authorities initially announced it would remain shut until 5pm. A statement from LOT Polish Airlines detailed that their technical services are now working with Vilnius airport operational services to assess the situation and recover the aircraft.
The airline also confirmed the cancellation of the subsequent flight, LO772 from Vilnius. Passengers have been advised that further information regarding other LOT Polish Airlines services to Vilnius will be provided in due course.
This event follows a period of unusual disruption for the airport. In October, Lithuanian authorities were forced to close Vilnius airport on six separate occasions due to weather balloons flying in its vicinity. Officials claimed these balloons were being used by smugglers transporting contraband cigarettes and criticised Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for not intervening to stop the practice.
