Tire Blowout Grounds Fly the Whale Plane at Cyril E. King Airport

The Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas temporarily closed its sole runway on Wednesday following an incident involving a disabled aircraft. The V.I Port Authority reported that the runway closure was necessary to facilitate the safe removal of the aircraft from the airfield. The aircraft, Fly the Whale Flight 130, had departed from St. Croix and landed without issue at CEKA around 10:30 a.m. However, while taxiing to its assigned gate, the plane’s right front tire suffered a blowout, rendering it immobile. The aircraft carried nine passengers and a pilot, all of whom exited the plane safely and reported no injuries. VIPA said its teams removed the aircraft from the runway and estimated a reopening time of 1:00 p.m. the same day. The incident delayed flights until the runway was cleared. VIPA expressed regret for any inconvenience caused.