More than 6,500 passengers and 81 flights were affected by the closure of Geneva airport's runway – the second in Switzerland – on Wednesday because a private jet became stuck in mud, the airport said on Thursday.
Geneva airport, the second in Switzerland after Zurich, remained closed for four hours.
It is a very important hub for the low-cost airline EasyJet and the Swiss airline.
An incident all the more unwelcome given that hundreds of dignitaries are traveling to Geneva in particular to attend the World Refugee Forum, which takes place from Wednesday to Friday.
The incident occurred shortly before 6 p.m. in the runway safety zone, Geneva Airport said in a press release on Thursday. Normal operations could not be resumed until 9:49 p.m.
A private jet that was scheduled to cross the runway to reach one of the taxiing areas overhung the edge.
The wheels sank into the grass because the ground had become particularly soft due to the incessant rains that had been falling over Geneva for several days.
Firefighters used multiple lifting techniques. The winch failed, so they used an inflatable bag slipped under the wing.
The fire brigade and rescue service crane was also called in to help.
37 flights with 3,050 passengers were affected on departure and 32 with 2,500 passengers on arrival.
A dozen flights were diverted to other airports, mainly Lyon, Zurich and Basel, affecting a total of 1,100 passengers.
Only one flight was canceled on Thursday morning.