A collision between an Air Canada plane and an airport fire truck halted all flights at LaGuardia, causing major disruptions and damage to the aircraft.
NEW YORK: A plane and an airport firefighting vehicle collided on a runway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport early Monday. The incident forced a complete halt to all flights at the major transport hub.
The New York Police Department confirmed an Air Canada plane “collided with a port authority vehicle”. The city’s fire department separately stated it had responded to a reported incident on runway four.
Flight tracking platform FlightRadar24 provided more detail, stating an Air Canada Express plane “collided with an airport rescue and firefighting vehicle” while landing. The aircraft, a CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation, had arrived from Montreal.
According to FlightRadar24 analysis, the plane “was rolling down the runway when it struck” the vehicle as it crossed its path. Unverified social media images showed an Air Canada aircraft with significant damage to its nose and cockpit area.
The images depicted the scene on a runway at night with emergency vehicles nearby. Authorities did not immediately provide details on potential casualties from the collision.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for the airport, warning of a “high” likelihood it would be extended. All departing flights were listed as either delayed or cancelled on the airport’s website.
New York’s emergency management authority warned the public to expect major disruptions. It advised people to “expect cancellations, road closures, traffic delays and emergency personnel” near the Queens airport.
The authority urged people to “use alternate routes”. The incident compounded existing travel woes at LaGuardia.
The airport had already been suffering flight disruptions due to poor weather. It also reported longer security wait times last week due to “staffing impacts” from a federal funding lapse.
