Flights were delayed for hours as a military transport plane skidded off the runway in Yangon International Airport (YIA) on the morning of September 5.

“The plane skidded off the runway as its left side engine failed before the take-off. Inbound flights were suspended for three hours and only outbound flights are allowed to use up to 8,000 feet of the runway,” said Ye Htut Aung, Deputy Director General of the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA).

The airport authorities later increased the time to close the airport as the work to move the aircraft from the runway is longer than they expected. The YIA has only one runway. They will announce the reopening of the airport, announced the YIA.

“The Y8 military transport aircraft is skidded off the runway as its left side engine is failed in the take-off. No one has injured in the accident,” said Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun, Secretary of the Tatmadaw True News Information Team.

Flights from domestic airlines such as Myanmar National Airways and Air KBZ are diverted to Nay Pyi Taw International Airport and flights from international airlines are diverted to airports in neighbouring countries.

Another Y8 military aircraft crashed into the sea in 2017 killing people on board.