A 52-year-old Italian woman suffered serious head injuries after being struck by the blast from a jet engine as it took off from the airport on the Greek island of Skiathos. She was knocked off her feet by the jet turbine wash while on a road near the airport on Monday, and was rushed to hospital.
Incident at Skiathos airport
The woman was taken to Skiathos' Polyiatreio medical centre, where she underwent a CT scan before being airlifted to Volos General Hospital for further treatment. Her condition has been described as serious by the Greek outlet ERT.
Many tourists gather at a perimeter fence by the runway to watch planes take off. Skiathos airport is close to the sea, providing spectacular views of the aircraft.
Previous incidents
The incident has put the spotlight again on the practice of watching the planes so close up, with people previously caught out by the sudden blasts from the jet engines. Similar to the famous airport at St Maarten's Princess Juliana Airport in the Caribbean, planes come in to land and take off right over the beach.
In September 2025, people were seen struggling to stay on their feet in footage with a plane overhead, and a suitcase was swept into the sea. Last year, sunbathers were filmed as they were sent flying on a beach by Princess Juliana Airport in St Maarten. The plane took off just 20m above their heads and sent down huge gusts of wind, scattering their belongings and knocking them to the ground.
Warnings and local reaction
The incident unfolded on Maho Beach, which is located just yards from the runway. There are signs dotted around the area warning tourists to stay away, as the powerful jet blasts can cause 'severe physical harm and/or death'.
"I've been here for 23 years and I've had customers since then, people keep coming all the time to do the same thing and watch," a shop owner in the area said.
