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Planes collide twice in one day at Boston’s airport forcing hundreds to rebook

Nearly 30 million people are expected to fly this Thanksgiving week

Katie Hawkinson
Tuesday 26 November 2024 15:42 EST
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An American Airlines plane sits at the gate at Boston Logan International Airport
An American Airlines plane sits at the gate at Boston Logan International Airport (AFP via Getty Images)

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Boston’s Logan International Airport saw two separate plane collisions on Monday as Thanksgiving travel ramps up.

The first incident happened Monday afternoon, when an American Airlines flight clipped the wing of a Frontier Airlines plane waiting to leave the gate with 200 passengers, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The American Airlines flight had just landed from London, and all passengers deboarded shortly after the incident. No one was injured.

“The aircraft has been removed from service for inspection by our maintenance team,” an American Airlines spokesperson said in a statement. “We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience this caused.”

“No injuries were reported among passengers or crew on the Frontier aircraft,” a Frontier spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, all 200 passengers on the Frontier flight to Texas had to re-book after the flight was canceled, NBC Boston reports. Frontier will give all passengers involved a $100 future travel credit, the spokesperson said, as well as the option to either rebook with the airline or receive a full refund.

The JetBlue desk at Boston’s Logan International Airport. A tug vehicle towing an empty JetBlue plane struck a Cape Air plane on Monday afternoon.
The JetBlue desk at Boston’s Logan International Airport. A tug vehicle towing an empty JetBlue plane struck a Cape Air plane on Monday afternoon. (Getty Images)

The collision happened “in an area that’s not under air traffic control,” according to the FAA.

Later that day, a tug vehicle towing an empty JetBlue plane struck a Cape Air plane that had just landed from Nantucket, the FAA said in a statement. Two pilots and three passengers were on board the Cape Air plane.

“Out of an abundance of caution both pilots and one passenger were transported to the hospital, treated and released shortly afterwards,” a Cape Air spokesperson said.

JetBlue released a statement confirming none of their crew members were injured.

“The tug has been removed from service, and the JetBlue aircraft will undergo a thorough inspection,” a JetBlue spokesperson said. “Safety is JetBlue’s first priority, and we will investigate this incident.”

The FAA is investigating both incidents. The Independent has contacted all airlines involved for comment.

Nearly 30 million of travelers are expected to fly this Thanksgiving week, putting pressure on airports. Almost 70 flights into, out of or within the US were canceled on Monday, with another 4,300 delayed, according to FlightAware.

Airports could exceed those figures Tuesday, with 53 flights already canceled as of mid-morning, FlightAware reports.

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