• 

  JetBlue

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  B6/JBA

  Hub(s):

  Boston Logan International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, New York JFK Airport, Orlando International Airport

  Year Founded:

  2000

  CEO:

  Robin Hayes

  Country:

  United States

An Airbus A320 belonging to JetBlue clipped the wing of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 as it was being pushed back from its gate at LaGuardia Airport. The A320 was operating JetBlue flight B6-2519 from LaGuardia (LGA) to New Orleans (MSY) with 161 passengers onboard when the incident occurred.The flight was scheduled to depart at 09:29 AM for the three-hour flight south. During pushback, the aircraft’s left wingtip collided with the right wingtip of an empty Southwest Airlines aircraft that was parked at an adjacent gate. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed that there were no reported injuries in the incident, and flight 2519 later departed safely, arriving in New Orleans with a delay of over four hours.The tweet below shows some images of the aftermath of the collision:

The reaction on the ground

Following the incident, Southwest Airlines issued a statement, saying,

"We are aware that an aircraft belonging to another airline came in contact with a portion of the wing of a Southwest Airlines aircraft that was parked at a gate at New York's LaGuardia Airport. There were no Crew Members or Passengers onboard at the time and the aircraft is now out of service to allow our Teams to make necessary repairs."

Simple Flying has reached out to JetBlue for comment.

Just last month, another ground collision took place between two Delta Air Lines aircraft at Miami International Airport. That said, aircraft collisions are thankfully rare, and the majority, like Sunday’s incident at La Guardia, are minor, taking place at low speeds on the ramp. However, if a collision occurs at higher speeds on the runway, the outcome can be disastrous, such as in the Tenerife air disaster in 1977.

Discover more of the latest aviation news with Simple Flying.

JetBlue at LaGuardia Airport

Despite not having a hub at LaGuardia Airport, JetBlue is the fifth-largest carrier at the airport, operating 6.5% of flights in the year to April 2022, just behind United Airlines, which flew 6.6% of flights. The carrier has services to 16 destinations from the New York airport, including Boston, Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando.

Since October 2021, JetBlue has operated from Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport, the third-busiest airport in the New York metropolitan area. It moved from Terminal A to allow for easier connections with American Airlines, which also uses Terminal B. Spirit Airlines, the carrier with which JetBlue is on the verge of an acquisition deal, operates from Terminal A.

JetBlue recently operated its first transatlantic service from Boston – find out more here.

What do you think of the minor ground collision between a JetBlue Airbus A320 and a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737? Have you had an incident like this occur on one of your flights? Share your thoughts and experiences by commenting below.