At the start of Greece’s peak summer tourism season, a Hellenic Air Force F-16 fighter jet suffered a crash-landing and subsequent fire at Zakynthos International Airport on Thursday, triggering widespread flight disruptions at one of the country’s busiest holiday gateways. The incident unfolded at approximately 13:45 local time (10:45 GMT), while the aircraft was conducting a routine training mission, according to official statements from the Hellenic Air Force. Service officials confirmed the jet developed an unspecified technical fault mid-flight before it made the emergency landing, adding that the pilot escaped the incident in good health. An official probe into the root cause of the accident is already underway. Independent Greek media outlets including leading daily Kathimerini have shared additional details not yet confirmed by the air force: reports indicate the jet received an onboard fire alarm alert prior to landing, failed to deploy its landing gear during the emergency landing attempt, and slid for dozens of meters across the runway before coming to a stop and igniting into flames. Emergency crews including airport firefighters and personnel immediately responded to the scene, and social media footage circulating online shows the fighter jet engulfed in flames as responders worked to extinguish the blaze. The Hellenic Air Force later confirmed the jet belonged to the 335 Squadron of the 116th Combat Wing, which is based at Araxos Air Base in western Greece. Following the incident, the airport’s only operational runway was immediately shut down to allow for emergency response and recovery work. All remaining flights scheduled for Thursday were pushed back to at least 21:00 local time, affecting dozens of journeys that had been scheduled to depart and arrive hours earlier. The disruption comes at a critical time for Zakynthos, a popular Ionian Island tourist destination that welcomes thousands of international visitors each week at the start of summer, with the majority of inbound travelers coming from the United Kingdom. A specialized Hellenic Air Force recovery team was dispatched to the island to remove the damaged aircraft from the runway, with the goal of restoring full airport operations as quickly as possible.