Istanbul's Ataturk airport reopens after jet crash

Istanbul's main Ataturk airport was reopened to traffic on Thursday after a private jet crashed on the runway, causing authorities to suspend flights, the head of Turkish Airlines said on Twitter.

The jet, registered as TC-KON, crashed after reporting a malfunction as it was taking off, the state-run news agency Anadolu said. The flight was heading to the Ercan airport in northern Cyprus, Anadolu reported.

Police said the jet's two pilots, a cabin crew member and a passenger were slightly injured in the crash.

The jet's rear end was detached from the aircraft, with emergency teams and firefighters at the crash site, images from a Reuters photographer on the scene showed.

The jet had briefly burst into flames after crashing, causing traffic at the airport to be suspended, Anadolu said.

Turkish Airlines Chief Executive Bilal Eksi said both runways at the airport were now operational.