Fuel leak shuts Charleroi Airport runway for an hour

A large quantity of fuel leaked from an aircraft preparing for takeoff at Charleroi Airport on Tuesday evening, spilling onto the runway and halting operations, the airport said.

The leak was reported at around 19:30 local time. According to airport officials, there was no danger to people on the ground or aboard any aircraft.

Crews closed the runway for roughly an hour to carry out cleaning work, and it reopened at about 20:30. Several Ryanair and Wizz Air flights had to be diverted to other airports while the closure was in effect.

Delays to departures and arrivals continued even after the runway reopened, as traffic worked through the backlog the closure had caused.

No further details were given on the cause of the leak or the type of aircraft involved.