Two planes – operated by SpiceJet and Acasa – collided with their wings while moving at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday afternoon, damaging the planes, airport officials said, adding that all passengers were safe.
Later in the day, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said an investigation had been opened, and the air traffic controller and SpiceJet pilots had been delisted pending investigation.
The accident occurred at around 2.15 pm near Terminal 1, when the SpiceJet flight from Leh was heading towards its parking lot and collided with the Acasa plane which was parked and preparing to depart for Hyderabad.
An airport official said that there was visible damage to the two planes, as part of the SpiceJet wing was present on the Acasa plane.
“Acasa flight QP-1406, bound for Hyderabad, exited the Gulf, while SpiceJet flight SG-124 arrived from Leh and was heading to the platform when the wings of the two planes collided,” the official said.
Reacting to the incident, a SpiceJet spokesperson said: “A SpiceJet B737-700 aircraft was involved in a ground accident while taxiing at Delhi Airport, resulting in damage to its right wing and left horizontal stabilizer of another aircraft of a different airline.” The spokesman added that the plane was stopped.
Acasa said its flight between Delhi and Hyderabad had to return to the Gulf after the incident.
An Acasa spokesperson said: “Initial information indicates that the Acasa aircraft was parked when it was contacted by another airline’s aircraft. All passengers and crew members were disembarked safely and our ground teams are making alternative arrangements to fly the passengers to Hyderabad as soon as possible.”
The spokesperson added: “In line with established protocols, the relevant authorities have been informed, and the matter is under investigation. At Acasa Airlines, the safety and security of our passengers and crew remains our top priority.”
The DGCA, in a statement, said, “The wing of the SpiceJet aircraft, which was heading towards the designated parking lot after operating flight SG-124 (Leh – Delhi) at Terminal 1, collided with the horizontal tail surface of the ACASA aircraft stationed on the apron after pushing back to operate the Delhi-Hyderabad flight. Due to the collision, the right wing of the SpiceJet aircraft and the horizontal stabilizer of the ACASA aircraft were damaged.”
It is not known how many passengers were on board the two flights.
