An Italian couple broke through security and ran out onto the tarmac at Malta's international airport to try and stop a Ryanair plane from taking off without them.

Matteo Clementi, 26, and Enrica Apollonio, 23, got stuck in traffic on their way to the Luqa airport on Wednesday.

By the time they arrived, the gate was closed and they were not allowed on board on their flight back to Italy.

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Matteo Clementi and Enrica Apollonio were late for their flight, so ran onto the runway to flag the plane down

They went to the next gate, forced open a security door, ran to the apron and began signalling to the pilots to let them on the plane. The engines were running and the stairs had been removed, reported the Times of Malta.

The two were not allowed on board and were caught by security staff and handed over to the police.

Their defence counsel said that Wednesday was Apollonio's 23rd birthday. She had been looking forward to celebrating it with her family 'but instead spent it in a cell'.

The couple were fined €2,329 (£1,660).

The Ryanair plane's engines were running and it was preparing for take-off when the couple ran out on the runway in the hope of boarding

The couple were fined €2,329 (£1,660) by a court in Malta, with the magistrate saying she hopes it warns people not to do similar

A spokesperson for Malta International Airport told MailOnline Travel: 'MIA would like to clarify that the passengers in question breached one of the emergency fire doors located in the Departures Area of the Terminal in order to access the apron, and not a security door.

'The mechanism of the Fire Emergency doors, includes a magnet which is specifically designed to release when it is forced open in case of a fire.

It is also important to note that passengers in the departures area have already been screened for any security threats when passing through the Central Security Screening Point and hence such an incident cannot be considered to pose any security breach since passengers have already accessed the highest level of security at the airport (even though they are still within the terminal building).

'This incident is considered to be more of a Safety breach in fact.

The actions of the Italian couple were beyond the airport's control and did not result from any negligence on behalf of MIA security staff. MIA staff and partners responded to this situation immediately and effectively, ensuring that the passengers were apprehended and passed on to the police.

'MIA regrets that a holiday to Malta had to end in this way but reminds passengers that safety and security are of the utmost importance at any airport and such issues cannot be dealt with lightly.'

The couple's defence team had asked for the pair to be handed a suspended sentence as they would struggle to pay the fine, but this was rejected by magistrate Doreen Clarke.

She said that the fine imposed would show how serious airport trespass incidents are; she did however accept the couple's request to pay in installments.