An incident at Heraklion International Airport in Greece has led to the temporary closure of the airport after a confrontation between protesters, including farmers and livestock breeders, and law enforcement personnel on the runway. This disruption is expected to impact several flights operating at the airport.
The protesters, who arrived from Crete, were demonstrating against the delayed disbursement of European Union subsidies. The clash with police resulted in the suspension of airport operations until further notice. Images from the scene depict protesters throwing stones and deploying tractors to block access to the airport’s main road.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis assured the farmers that substantial payments would be made by the end of December and urged them to end their nationwide road blockades. He acknowledged the concerns raised by the farmers, specifically addressing the frozen €600 million in EU subsidies and other pending payments due to a corruption probe into agricultural aid distribution.
Mitsotakis emphasized the importance of dialogue and called for constructive engagement from the protesters, stating, “The door of the government is open. It would be better for dialogue to happen with open roads, not closed ones.” This appeal was made in response to the ongoing demonstrations at the airport.
In a separate incident at Edinburgh Airport in the UK, all incoming flights were temporarily halted following an emergency landing by a British Airways plane due to a landing gear malfunction. The aircraft landed safely, and passengers were evacuated. Flight BA1443 from Edinburgh to London Heathrow declared a general emergency after encountering issues with its landing gear.
According to online flight trackers, the Airbus A320-232 plane made the emergency call shortly after takeoff, circling over the area north of Edinburgh before safely returning to the airport. The airport authorities confirmed that the aircraft was stationary on the runway, prompting the suspension of incoming flights at the airport.
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