were on the runway on maximum alert.

The pilots of the plane, Charles Pace and Frank Zammit, used all their years of experience to land the plane without problems. They first alerted the control tower informing them of a possible technical problem. They told them that the plane might have developed a problem soon after take off, at about 5.40am.

The emergency personnel were alerted and informed about the problem and they began to take their positions, preparing themselves for any eventuality. As soon as the pilots alerted the control tower that another tyre could have been damaged on take

off, the alarm increased to full

emergency.

Members of the Armed Forces of Malta, the Civil Protection Department, the Fire and Rescue Team stationed at the airport, as well as a number of engineers, pilots and other staff members at the Malta International Airport and Air Malta, were all participating in the operation which eventually ended on a positive note when the plane landed safely at 9.10am.

For the 122 passengers and six crew members on flight KM572, this must have been one of the most traumatic experiences of their lives. For those who were on the aeroplane and are superstitious, the fact that yesterday was Friday the 13th must have made the experience that little bit worse.

Speaking to the media soon after the plane landed and the passengers had disembarked, Air Malta chairman Lawrence Zammit said all passengers were safe and no injuries were reported. He said the airline offered counselling services and psychological assistance for those who felt they needed help to deal with the trauma.

Mr Zammit thanked all the entities that worked so well together and conducted such a successful emergency operation. He said this incident is not the first in Malta and neither for Air Malta, and that similar incidents happen in other countries too. He said that despite a burst tyre, the aeroplane, thanks to the expertise of the pilots, landed normally.

Asked what took the plane so long to land, Mr Zammit said the aeroplane left Malta heading for Moscow Domododevo airport and therefore had ample fuel to last the whole four-hour flight. It is calculated that the aircraft had 16 tonnes of fuel.

In order to land lighter than it took off and so as to prevent further problems just in case the landing did not go well, the plane had to use up most of its fuel before the landing.

And, before actually attempting to land, the aeroplane flew as low as possible over a group of experts on the runway so that people on the ground could see if there were other problems that the pilots may not have seen. Thankfully, no other problems were identified and the aircraft landed safely.

It is not known whether passengers were informed about the problem as soon as it developed and neither whether the passengers were served their food as usual on the flight.

Meanwhile, sources said the passengers, only one of whom was Maltese, were taken to a hotel until a flight to Moscow is available to take them to Russia. Air Malta representatives in Russia also saw to the needs of passengers who were waiting to catch the same plane on its return visit from the Russian capital.