Hong Kong airport’s north runway reopens after cargo plane crash kills 2
Monday’s incident was fourth in 15 years to involve ACT Airlines, with one accident leaving more than 30 people dead
Hong Kong airport’s north runway has reopened but will remain on standby to support week-long efforts to salvage a crashed cargo plane that veered off its path and killed two security workers when it struck their vehicle.
Monday’s incident was the fourth in 15 years to involve Turkish company ACT Airlines, which was operating the cargo flight for Emirates, with more than 30 people killed in a previous accident in 2017.
An aviation expert said on Tuesday that it was not uncommon for an airline with past incidents to continue flying, provided that the regulator in its home country was satisfied the company had taken corrective actions.
The north runway, which was closed following the crash, reopened at around 4pm on Tuesday, the Airport Authority said, adding that it would be kept on standby to allow for the removal of the wreckage.
The collection of evidence was completed at around 4pm on Monday, while repairs to the runway were finished at about 7am the following day, it said.
The developments came as the families of the two men killed said that Emirates had not been in contact with them, while legal experts warned that manslaughter charges could be laid on the pilots if the crash was found to have been caused by gross negligence.