Runway damage feared at Orlando Airport from fuel spill

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando International Airport officials are closely monitoring their largest runway for signs of permanent damage from a massive fuel spill.

The runway was doused in flammable liquid from a jet that aborted a trans Atlantic flight on June 29. Norwegian Air leased the jet from Hi-Fly of Portugal for its Orlando to London flight. The plane developed hydraulic trouble over the Atlantic and returned to the terminal, spilling fuel along the way.

The Orlando Sentinel reports the affected area is the size of nearly nine football fields. Airport officials expect some of the runway’s asphalt will need replacing, which will be costly. They expect to bill the companies involved.

Neither Norwegian nor Hi-Fly has explained why the fuel was spilled.