A Hellenic Air Force F‑16 fighter jet crashed on landing at Zakynthos Airport, the busiest summer holiday terminal, today.
The 30‑minute incident happened at about 13:45 local time (10:45 GMT) during a training flight when the aircraft developed an unreported technical fault, according to the air force.
According to Greek media, the jet received a fire warning before landing and subsequently caught fire on the runway. Firefighters and airport personnel immediately responded and managed to douse the blaze. The aircraft slid without deploying its landing gear, traveling dozens of metres along the runway.
The pilot was reported to be in good health and investigators are looking into the cause. The Hellenic Air Force is yet to comment directly on the incident.
Severe runway closures forced the airport to cancel flights and cause delays until 21:00. The incident comes just before the peak of the summer holiday season, when thousands of travellers are expected in Zakynthos.
Specialist teams from the air force are expected to clear the wreckage to restore airport operations.
