- A flight from Milan to Vilnius ended with skidding off the runway as it landed.
- The plane eventually corrected course and returned to the runway.
- Officials are still investigating the cause of the incident.
A charter flight from Milan carrying 179 passengers and 6 crew members skidded off a runway and into the muddy, snow-covered turf on Saturday at a Lithuanian airport, online video shows.
The Airbus 320 model, belonging to the airline carrier Avion Express, veered off to the right as it landed at Vilnius Airport but slowly returned to the runway. Representatives for Vilnius Airport confirmed that videos circulating online were of the incident.
Photos of the aftermath show the plane covered in snow slush, but no fatalities or injuries were reported, the airport said in a statement on Facebook.
“According to the initial data, the aircraft had 179 passengers and 6 crew members on board, the flight crew informed the airport authorities that nobody was injured and the aircraft made its way to the parking area on the apron, where the passengers disembarked,” the airport wrote following the incident.
Vilnius Airport ceased operations for hours following the incident to inspect the runway but resumed flights soon after. The airport said the cause of the plane veering off the runway is still under investigation by The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania.
“Please be informed that following the incident this afternoon, the runway at Vilnius Airport will be reopened for operations from 17:00, and flights will continue as normal,” the airport wrote on Saturday.
Representatives for Vilnius Airport told Business Insider they had no further information to provide.
Avion Express is an airplane leasing and charter service based in Lithuania, per its website. The company fleet includes Airbus A320 and A321 models.
“During the incident the passengers were calm and followed the instructions of our crew members,” Avion Express Head of Communications Rolanda Lipneviciute told Business Insider in a statement. “We extend our heartfelt apologies and sincere support to everyone who was on board.”
