Summary of this article
A taxiing SpiceJet flight (arriving from Leh) hit a stationary Akasa Air aircraft at Delhi's IGI Airport, damaging the SpiceJet's right winglet and the Akasa plane's left stabilizer.
All passengers and crew on both flights were safe. The Akasa passengers were disembarked and rebooked on alternative flights.
Both aircraft have been grounded, and the DGCA has launched an investigation into potential lapses in ground safety protocols.
A major ground incident was reported at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Thursday afternoon after a taxiing SpiceJet aircraft collided with a stationary Akasa Air plane on the tarmac, causing significant damage to both aircraft .
The collision occurred around 2:15 PM near Terminal 1 when a SpiceJet Boeing 737-700, which had just arrived from Leh (Flight SG-124), was taxiing towards its parking bay. During this movement, the right winglet of the SpiceJet jet struck the left horizontal stabilizer of the Akasa Air aircraft, which was stationary and preparing to depart for Hyderabad as Flight QP-1406.
The impact caused severe damage to the right winglet of the SpiceJet aircraft, while the left horizontal stabilizer of the Akasa Air plane was also damaged in the collision. Following the incident, both aircraft have been grounded at the Delhi airport and taken out of operations for inspection and repairs.
No injuries were reported among the passengers or crew members on board either flight . An Akasa Air spokesperson confirmed that all passengers and crew from flight QP-1406 were safely disembarked, and the airline is making alternative arrangements to fly them to Hyderabad .
Confirming the development, a SpiceJet spokesperson stated: "On April 16, a SpiceJet B737-700 aircraft was involved in a ground occurrence while taxiing at Delhi airport, resulting in damage to its right winglet and the left-hand horizontal stabiliser of another aircraft belonging to a different airline. The SpiceJet aircraft has been grounded at Delhi" .
An Akasa Air spokesperson also issued a statement, noting: "Preliminary information indicates that Akasa's aircraft was stationary when another airline's aircraft made contact with it. All passengers and crew were safely disembarked, and our ground teams are making alternative arrangements to fly our passengers to Hyderabad at the earliest" .
The incident has raised fresh concerns over ground movement safety at one of India's busiest airports. Both airlines have informed the relevant authorities, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and an investigation is currently underway to determine the exact cause of the collision.
