Kuala lumpur: The runway at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport here has been reopened after being temporarily closed following a helicopter exploding and catching fire during an engine run-up test earlier this afternoon.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Malaysian Civil Aviation Authority (CAAM) chief executive officer Capt Datuk Norazman Mahmud stated that the incident occurred at Taxiway Victor, causing a temporary suspension of flights. He confirmed that the runway resumed operations for air traffic at 2.57 pm and advised passengers to check with their respective airlines for the latest updates on their flights.

Norazman reported that during the runway closure, eight inbound flights were diverted to alternate airports, while three departing flights experienced delays. The flight information displays at the airport have been updated to reflect revised schedules for several flights heading to different destinations.

Earlier, CAAM had issued an announcement regarding the temporary closure of the runway, with all departures and arrivals suspended until further notice. The explosion involved a Kamov KaV-32S helicopter owned by a Ukraine-registered company and occurred at 12.28 pm. The aircraft caught fire during a ground engine run-up test as part of maintenance activities.

The maintenance activities were being conducted by four Ukrainian men, including the pilot, co-pilot, and two crew members. One of them sustained minor injuries due to flying debris from the explosion.