Italian Tourist Injured by Jet Blast at Skiathos Airport

A 52-year-old Italian tourist was hospitalized with severe head injuries after being thrown to the ground by the jet blast from a departing aircraft at Skiathos Airport in Greece on August 10, 2026. The incident has once again highlighted the significant dangers associated with the airport's popular but risky planespotting locations.

According to local authorities and reports, the woman was standing near the airport's perimeter fence as a passenger plane prepared for takeoff. The powerful airflow generated by the aircraft's engines struck her, causing her to fall heavily to the ground. Emergency responders transported her to the Skiathos Health Centre, where she underwent a CT scan. Due to the severity of her injuries, she was airlifted shortly after 6 p.m. local time to Volos General Hospital on the Greek mainland for further treatment.

Local officials have launched an investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the incident, including how the tourist came to be in such close proximity to the runway during takeoff. The airport is renowned among aviation enthusiasts for its unique and hazardous location, where the runway sits directly adjacent to a public road and...