September 10th 2024.
In a busy morning at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, two Delta Air Lines planes ended up in a collision as they were preparing for takeoff. According to Delta spokesperson Anthony Black, the wingtip of a Delta Airbus A350 made contact with a Delta CRJ 900 regional jet operated by Endeavor Airlines. Fortunately, no one was harmed in the incident. The passengers on the regional flight were safely taken back to the terminal by bus, while the second aircraft was able to taxi to a concourse where passengers were able to deplane at their designated gate, as confirmed by an airport spokesperson.
Photos of the scene were shared on social media and obtained by CNN, showing the vertical tail of the regional flight separated from the rest of the plane, surrounded by airport rescue vehicles. The seriousness of the situation was evident when an air traffic controller could be heard saying, "That whole tail of that CRJ [Delta CRJ 900] is off."
Delta has issued a statement saying that all affected passengers will be placed on alternate flights. The Airbus had 221 passengers on board, while the regional jet had 56 customers, according to the airline. The Federal Aviation Administration has reported that the impacted runway is closed, along with several nearby taxiways.
In a statement, the FAA mentioned that the Delta Airbus A350 was headed to Tokyo, while the Endeavor Bombardier CRJ900 was en route to Lafayette, Louisiana. The FAA also stated that an investigation into the incident is underway and that Delta is cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board and other authorities. Delta's TechOps teams have safely moved both planes to maintenance hangars at the airport.
With Hartsfield-Jackson International being the top airport for passenger volume in 2023, it is expected to serve around 110 million passengers in 2024, according to the Airports Council International's preliminary rankings for 2023 released in April. As one of the busiest airports in the world, safety is of utmost importance, and incidents like this are taken seriously by all parties involved.
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