Liverpool John Lennon Airport was closed until late on Wednesday evening after the the private jet carrying Liverpool FC director Mike Gordon from the US came off the runway. Tony McDonough reports

Flights in and out of Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) are to resume following an incident in which a private jet came off the runway on Wednesday morning.

The airport was closed until late on Wednesday evening after the the private jet, operated by private charter firm Vistajet, arrived from Bedford, Massachusetts in the US, at 5.47am, and came off the runway after landing.

On board were three crew and Mike Gordon, president of Fenway Sports Group (FSG), owners of Liverpool FC, who was the sole passenger and was flying into the city for a meeting at the club. There were no reported injuries.

An operation to reopen the runway took longer than hoped due to damage to the aircraft, making its removal more tricky. Liverpool Airport finally announced a return to normality at 11.15pm on Wednesday. Its statement said: “We can confirm that normal operations have now resumed. Once again we would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused to passengers.”

Mr Gordon oversees the running of Liverpool FC on behalf of FSG. After being give the all-clear by LJLA medical staff he journeyed on to his hotel. In a statement, FSG said: “He (Mr Gordon) was not injured but would like to pass on his appreciation to the amazing staff at Liverpool John Lennon Airport and the emergency services for their amazing work.”

The closure of the airport caused significant disruption to passengers travelling with airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair as well as to fans returning from Liverpool FC’s Champions League clash in Salzburg.

In a statement following the incident, the airport said: “We can confirm there was an incident at 5.47am this morning when a private jet with three crew and one passenger on board came off the runway after landing.”