Red Alert at KEF Airport Early this Morning

First responders were placed on high alert at Keflavík International Airport this morning when a passenger jet arriving from Seattle had to land on a runway, at the edge of which a small plane was already located, mbl.is reports.

Three Icelandair flights, coming from the US and approaching the airport this morning, had been diverted to Akureyri Airport. The reason was that a two-passenger aircraft, coming in for landing in Keflavík around 6 am, skidded off the runway and ended up at the edge near its end. According to Isavia’s communications officer, Guðjón Helgason, the small plane, used for medical transport, had two people on board. They escaped injury.

The small plane landed on Runway 01, since Runway 02 had been temporarily closed, due to being icy.

One of the aircraft asked to land in Akureyri was coming from Seattle. Its captain reported he didn’t have sufficient fuel supply to be able to fly to Akureyri. Therefore, he landed the aircraft on the runway, at the edge of which the small plane was still located.

The passenger jet landed without incident. Because it was a passenger flight, a red alert had been  issued: fire fighters and ambulances were ready at the airport, and medical services in the area had been notified.

The other two aircraft landed in Akureyri and later took off for Keflavík. The small plane at Keflavík International Airport has been pulled off the runway. The incident is now being investigated by the investigative board of aviation accidents.