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Two pilots have been confirmed dead after an Air Canada aircraft collided with a firefighting vehicle at New York’s LaGuardia Airport- a tragic incident that has disrupted operations at one of the United States’ busiest hubs.
The aircraft, which had 72 passengers and four crew members on board, had just arrived from Montreal on Sunday evening and was taxiing at about 24mph when the collision occurred.
Emergency services responded quickly, with 41 passengers and crew taken to hospital, along with two officers who were inside the ground vehicle. While 32 have since been discharged, several others remain hospitalised with “serious injuries.”
The New York City Fire Department warned the public to “expect cancellations, road closures, traffic delays and emergency personnel near LaGuardia Airport” as rescue and recovery efforts continued.
Kathryn Garcia, Executive Director of the Port Authority, said the airport would remain shut “until at least 14:00 local time (18:00 GMT)” to allow for investigations.
She also provided an update on the condition of the officers in the firefighting vehicle, saying they are in stable condition “with no life-threatening injuries.”
“I visited them both in the hospital, as has the chairman, and they were able to speak and we’re notifying their families,” Garcia said.
Garcia added that everyone who was on board the aircraft has been accounted for.
In the aftermath of the crash, all arrivals and departures at LaGuardia Airport have been cancelled or delayed until further notice, affecting hundreds of flights operated by major airlines including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and Air Canada.
Airport authorities reiterated that the closure will remain in place until at least 14:00 local time, though a small number of Monday morning departures have been listed as delayed rather than cancelled.
LaGuardia Airport, located in East Elmhurst in Queens, is one of the busiest airports in the United States, handling more than 32 million passengers over the past year. While it primarily serves domestic routes, it also connects to select international destinations, including Canada and the Caribbean.
