LONDON- A collision occurred between a Virgin Atlantic (VS) Boeing 787 and a British Airways (BA) Airbus A350 at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) on Saturday, prompting a significant emergency response.
Witnesses stated that the empty Virgin 787 plane was being towed at Terminal 3 when it made contact with the wing of the British Airways Airbus A350 passenger plane.
Virgin Atlantic 787 and British A350 Collided
Reports suggest that the British Airways plane was carrying passengers and was scheduled to depart for Accra, although British Airways has not officially confirmed this information.
Following the incident, at least five fire engines were dispatched to the scene, and the Air Accident Investigation Branch has initiated an investigation.
Both aircraft were moving at a low speed, and there have been no reports of injuries.
A spokesperson for Virgin stated, “During the towing process of one of our empty aircraft from the gate at London Heathrow Terminal 3, the wingtip made contact with another aircraft.
“The safety of our passengers and crew is our utmost concern at all times.
“We can confirm that no passengers were aboard the Virgin Atlantic aircraft at the time of the incident.
“We have initiated a comprehensive investigation.
“Our engineering teams are conducting thorough maintenance checks on the aircraft, which has been temporarily removed from service.”
The airline mentioned that the aircraft has been withdrawn from service, and engineering teams are conducting maintenance checks.
It’s been clarified that the incident hasn’t affected Virgin Atlantic’s flight schedule.
The towing operation was conducted by a ground-handling company contracted by Virgin Atlantic.
Passenger Observation
Alex Whittles, a passenger on another aircraft, observed the incident and shared on Twitter: “Just witnessed a plane collision at Heathrow! A tug pushing back a Virgin 787 collided the wing into a British Airways A350.”
“He maneuvered the plane directly over the designated hash markings on the ground,” he remarked.
The British Airways aircraft had recently landed from the Ghanaian capital, Accra. It was scheduled to depart for the return journey at 12:40 pm from Gate 25 at Terminal 3.
However, the departure for the Accra flight has been rescheduled to 6:30 pm. Despite this, the airport’s live flight boards indicate minimal alterations to other flights on Saturday afternoon.
Official Statements
A statement from British Airways stated, “One of our aircraft, while stationary at Heathrow earlier today, was involved in a collision with another airline’s jet, which was being towed from a stand at the time.
“Our engineering teams are currently assessing our aircraft, and we have arranged for an alternative aircraft to minimize the inconvenience for our passengers.”
The Metropolitan Police stated: “At 12:09hrs on Saturday, April 6th, aviation police were notified of a collision involving two aircraft and a tug vehicle.
“Police officers responded to the scene and determined that the aircraft being towed by the tug collided with the wing of a stationary aircraft.
“There were passengers on board one of the aircraft at the time of the collision.
“No injuries were reported.”
A spokesperson for Heathrow commented: “We are collaborating with emergency services and our airline partners in addressing an incident involving two aircraft on the ground earlier today.”
“There have been no reports of passenger injuries, and we foresee no lasting disruption to airport operations.”
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