(Updates with airport reopening)
SAN
JOSE, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Costa Rica's main international airport
reopened on Thursday after shutting down for two hours when the tires of
a plane burst upon landing, sending it skidding along the runway.
The
capital's Juan Santamaria International Airport, the biggest passenger
hub for the popular tourist destination, resumed operations shortly
after the plane was removed from the runway at about 6 p.m. local time,
said Maria Amalia Revelo, commercial director for the company that
manages the airport.
The plane, a Taca Airlines Airbus 321,
carried 146 passengers and none were injured, said national fire chief
Hector Chaves. The flight originated in El Salvador.
The airport closure was ordered after the plane skidded to a halt and blocked a runway.
Authorities said an investigation into the cause of the incident was under way. Rain fell all afternoon at the airport.
As a result of the closure, 11 Taca flights were rerouted to airports in Panama, El Salvador and Guatemala.
In 2011, the airport handled 3.2 million passengers, making it Central America's third busiest, said Revelo.
http://www.chicagotribune.com
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