A Southwest flight took off from a closed runway, forcing workers to clear out

Airport employees at Portland International Jetport in Maine had a close call when a Southwest Airlines jet took off from a closed runway. The incident occurred on the morning of June 25 and is currently under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The runway had been closed overnight for construction but reopened at 5:45 a.m. A controller and pilots warned the Southwest crew multiple times about the closed runway, but they apparently did not hear the warnings. The FAA confirmed the runway was closed during takeoff. Southwest stated the flight reached its destination safely. The NTSB will release a preliminary report on the incident next month.