Wings Of 2 Boeing 737s Collide At Delhi Airport: DGCA Says SpiceJet Aircraft Hit Akasa Air

Mumbai: A routine afternoon at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) turned into a scene of structural damage and operational delays on Thursday when a SpiceJet aircraft collided with a stationary Akasa Air plane during taxiing. Both the aircraft, belonging to the same Boeing 737 family, had to be grounded for maintenance.

The incident occurred at around 2.15pm near Terminal 1, a hub that has seen increasing traffic as domestic demand surges. According to preliminary reports from airport officials, the SpiceJet Boeing 737-700, registered as VT-SLB, had just arrived from Leh and was taxiing toward its designated bay when its right wing tip collided with the left wing of an Akasa Air aircraft, registered as VT-YAI.

The collision resulted in visible damage to both airframes as SpiceJet suffered significant crushing damage to the tip of its right winglet which got clipped due to the collision. On the other hand, Akasa Air's left horizontal tail surface (HTS) sustained a deep gash, rendering the aircraft unserviceable until major repairs are completed. Following the mishap, both aircraft were grounded and moved to a maintenance hangar for a full structural integrity check. No injuries were reported among the hundreds of passengers and crew members involved.

At the time of the impact, the Akasa Air aircraft was stationary but preparing for its scheduled departure to Hyderabad. Passengers already on board the flight no. QP-1406 reported a sudden jolt as the SpiceJet winglet sliced into the rear stabiliser of their aircraft. The passengers had to be disembarked as the airline had to manage alternative arrangements to fly its passengers to the destination, causing significant delay.

A spokesperson with Akasa Air said that the aircraft was stationary at the time of the incident. "In line with our strict safety protocols, the aircraft returned to the bay. All passengers and crew were safely disembarked, and our ground teams worked immediately to arrange an alternative aircraft for the Hyderabad service."

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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) hinted towards SpiceJet crew's error, stating that the SpiceJet aircraft had hit the Akasa Air's plane. “A winglet of Spicejet B-737-700 aircraft, taxying in the allocated parking bay after operating flight Leh-Delhi, hit the HTS of Akasa aircraft positioned on the apron after push back."

The aviation regulator said that the concerned air traffic control (ATC) officer and the SpiceJet pilots have been off-rostered until the investigation is completed.

A SpiceJet spokesperson said that the aircraft has been grounded at Delhi after the “ground occurrence.”

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