Cyprus' Paphos Airport Shut Down After Plane's Tires Burst upon Landing

June 30, 2006
Officials were forced to close the airport after the Airbus 321 burst four of its rear tires while landing, blocking the runway.

Cyprus' Paphos airport was shut down after a plane's tires burst upon landing, blocking the runway, officials said.

None of the 187 passengers aboard the LTU Airways flight from Duesseldorf, Germany, were injured in the 6:30 p.m. (1330 GMT) incident at Paphos airport, on the island's south west coast.

Officials were forced to close the airport after the Airbus 321 burst four of its rear tires while landing, blocking the runway, said Androulla Christodoulou, head of Paphos' airport civil aviation services.

At least five flights were affected. Four flights were diverted to Larnaca, the island's main airport.

Christodoulou said the airline was dispatching a crew from Germany with spare parts to repair the problem. She could not say when the airport would reopen.

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