An American Airlines Airbus A321 jet was involved in an incident with a passenger bus at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), leaving at least five people injured.

The incident

A passenger bus collided with an American Airlines Airbus A321 aircraft that was being towed for maintenance at Los Angeles Airport (LAX) on Friday night. The aircraft was being moved from a gate to a remote parking area.

According to LAX officials, the taxiway collision involving the A321 jet and the passenger bus resulted in five people being injured, including the bus driver. Despite the incident, the airport advises that operations remain normal.

According to a report by 18news.com, the Los Angeles Fire Department said one person was taken to the hospital in a non-life-threatening condition. Meanwhile, according to CBS, the bus driver and two other passengers were taken to the hospital also, but with mild injuries.

Shortly after the incident, video footage and photographs appeared on social media showing the place of the incident. It is worth noting that the damage to the aircraft is currently unknown. Simple Flying has reached out to American Airlines for a comment.

Investigations continue to determine what caused the collision.

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An increasing number of incidents

Recent incidents across the United States airports continue to raise concerns. The latest incident happened when a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 jet and a FedEx Boeing 767 freighter came as close as 100 feet to colliding at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS).

According to investigators, the air traffic controllers had cleared the Southwest Boeing 737 conducting Flight WN708 from Austin to Cancun to depart Runway 18L moments before the FedEx Boeing 767F was due to land.

FedEx Boeing 767-3S2F N169FE (2)
Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying

Another serious incident that could have ended in a tragedy happened when a close call between an American Airlines Boeing 777 and a Delta Boeing 737 aircraft was reported to have occurred at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York on January 13, 2023.

While these incidents involved moving aircraft with passengers on board, this latest situation was less drastic given that there were no passengers involved other than those on the bus. Nevertheless, the occurrence of ground collisions has also begun to tick up, not just in the United States but in airports all over the world. Indeed, in late 2022, IATA estimated that the cost to airlines of collisions with ground support vehicles could balloon to $10 billion a year unless action is taken.

These busy airport spaces need to be carefully managed to ensure enough clearance is given to moving vehicles, including airplanes. No doubt, today's incident will only add to the scrutiny already being faced by the aviation industry as it continues to build back following the pandemic pause.

Get all the latest aviation news for North America here.

What are your thoughts about this incident at Los Angeles International Airport? What do you make of the overall situation? Let us know what you think in the comment section.

Sources: LAX airport, News18.com, CBS

  • American Airlines Tile
    American Airlines
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    AA/AAL
    Airline Type:
    Full Service Carrier
    Hub(s):
    Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Miami International Airport, New York JFK Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
    Year Founded:
    1926
    Alliance:
    oneworld
    CEO:
    Robert Isom
    Country:
    United States
    Airline Group:
    American Airlines Group
    Region:
    North America
    Loyalty Program:
    AAdvantage
  • Airfield - LAWA Brosseau - 4
    Los Angeles International Airport
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    LAX/KLAX
    Country:
    United States
    CEO:
    Justin Erbacci
    Passenger Count :
    48,007,284 (2021)
    Runways :
    6L/24R - 2,721m (8,926 ft) | 6R/24L - 3,318m (10,885 ft) | 7L/25R - 3,939m (12,923 ft) | 7R/25L - 3,382m (11,095 ft)
    Terminals:
    Terminal 1 | Terminal 2 | Terminal 3 | Tom Bradley International Terminal | Terminal 4 | Terminal 5 | Terminal 6 | Terminal 7 | Terminal 8