A Malta-registered Bombardier Global 6000 operated by VistaJet departed the runway at the UK's Liverpool John Lennon Airport today at 5:46 a.m. local time, suspending operations at the airfield until the late afternoon. The aircraft, registered as 9H-VJM, departed Hanscom Field (KBED) in Bedford, Massachusetts, at 7:27 p.m. EST, according to FlightAware. It was confirmed to have been carrying Liverpool Football Club director Mike Gordon, two pilots, and one cabin crewmember.
The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) issued a statement saying it had “sent a team to Liverpool John Lennon Airport.” Also in a statement, Liverpool Airport confirmed "there was an incident at around 6 a.m. this morning when a private jet with three crew and one passenger on board came off the runway after landing. There were no injuries and the runway is expected to be closed until this afternoon while the airport deals with the incident."
Earlier today, a crane crew was working to move the aircraft from the position it came to a halt, on the grass some 150 feet to the left side of Runway 27, the airport's only runway, close to the fast turn-off taxiway.
"We are fully co-operating with the airport and relevant authorities as they investigate further," said VistaJet, which operates a fleet of more than 70 Bombardier Challengers and Globals worldwide. It operates more than 150,000 flights around the world each year.
VistaJet employs the Osprey Flight Risk Assessment system, adopted in February, to integrate with its own flight operations software and designed to offer “instantaneous and intuitive risk assessments for every flight.” It also was the first operator to receive a Diamond Safety of Flight Awards from the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), which it received in 2016 and again in 2018 (each award covers a two-year period). In addition, the company holds the Argus International Platinum and Wyvern Wingman ratings, and VistaJet says its flight crew and ground staff "are trained to standards that surpass stringent industry regulations.”