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Fire next to Geneva Airport disrupts flights
CGTN
FILE PIC: Photo shows Geneva Airport, Switzerland, November 16, 2019. /Reuters

FILE PIC: Photo shows Geneva Airport, Switzerland, November 16, 2019. /Reuters

Flights to and from Geneva Airport were disrupted on Friday after a major fire broke out just beyond the perimeter fence, a spokesman for Switzerland's second-busiest airport said.

Black smoke could be seen spewing into the sky from the site.

Due to a fire at the edge of the runway, landings and take-offs have been suspended since 5:35 p.m. (1535 GMT)," the airport said on Twitter.

"A reopening of the runway, for take-offs initially, is envisaged around 7:00 p.m. (1700 GMT).”

Airport spokesman Ignace Jeannerat in the evening said that the fire was "under control," but staff needed to "secure the area and remove the debris.”

The fire was "outside the airport perimeter" and "creating a lot of smoke," he said.

Some inbound flights were diverted to Lyon and Basel.

Geneva is Switzerland's second-busiest airport after Zurich. Wedged in on the edge of Swiss territory, the runway is next to the border with France.

In 2021, the airport welcomed more than 5.9 million passengers, down from the pre-pandemic level of nearly 18 million in 2019.

Source(s): AFP

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