GUAYAQUIL— An Iberia (IB) Airbus A350 suffered damage during a ceremonial water salute at Guayaquil International Airport (GYE) in Ecuador, forcing the aircraft to cancel its scheduled return flight to Madrid and remain grounded for inspections.
The incident occurred on June 4, 2026, when Iberia introduced its Airbus A350-900 on the Madrid–Guayaquil route for the first time.
What was intended to celebrate the deployment of the airline’s flagship widebody aircraft quickly turned into an operational disruption after the jet collided with airport equipment during taxiing.
Airbus A350 Incident During Water Salute
Water salutes remain a popular aviation tradition used to mark special milestones, including inaugural flights, fleet additions, route launches, and pilot retirements.
During these ceremonies, airport fire trucks spray streams of water overhead to create an arch through which an aircraft taxis.
At Guayaquil Airport, Iberia’s Airbus A350-900 successfully entered the water arch as planned. However, as the aircraft continued moving forward, its left wingtip struck the extended boom of one of the airport fire vehicles positioned alongside the taxiway, Aero Telegraph flagged.
Videos shared online from both inside and outside the aircraft captured the moment of impact. The footage showed the winglet making contact with the elevated firefighting equipment as the aircraft passed through the ceremonial setup.
The aircraft involved was registered EC-NXD and had been operating the airline’s inaugural Airbus A350 service between Madrid and Guayaquil.
Flight Cancellation Impact on Madrid Service
Following the collision, airport operator Tagsa confirmed that no passengers, crew members, or ground personnel suffered injuries.
Despite the absence of injuries, the aircraft sustained damage significant enough to prevent its scheduled departure.
The Airbus A350 had been preparing to operate flight IB132 from Guayaquil to Madrid. After the incident, the aircraft returned to the gate, where technical teams began evaluating the extent of the damage.
As of the early hours of June 5, the aircraft remained at Guayaquil Airport awaiting further inspection and maintenance assessments.
The disruption affected Iberia’s planned operations on the route and required adjustments to passenger travel arrangements.
The deployment of the Airbus A350 on the Madrid–Guayaquil service represented a notable upgrade for the airline. Iberia had previously operated the route primarily with Airbus A330-200 aircraft, making the A350’s introduction a significant capacity and efficiency enhancement.
Water Salute Risks During Airport Ceremonies
Although water salutes are common across the aviation industry, incidents involving the ceremonies have occurred before.
While generally considered safe when properly coordinated, the events require precise positioning of both aircraft and firefighting vehicles.
One of the most notable examples occurred in 2018 when a water stream struck a Saudia Airbus A320 during a ceremony.
Reports indicated that the force of the water impacted an emergency exit above the wing, causing the door to open unexpectedly.
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