Two passenger jets from low-cost carrier FlyDubai and Bahrain-based Gulf Air collided with each other on the taxiway at Dubai International Airport early Thursday morning, though authorities reported no injuries in the incident.
FlyDubai said one of its Boeing 737-800s heading to Kyrgyzstan found itself affected by ”a minor incident” and forced to return to the stand. It said passengers took a later flight, which departed six hours later.
“FlyDubai will work with the authorities to investigate the incident,” the airline said, adding that the collision damaged a wingtip on one of the aircraft.
Gulf Air said one its aircraft “was impacted on the tail by an aircraft of another airline.” Gulf Air did not identify the aircraft involved, but said it was “working to reconnect all the passengers to their final destinations.” Gulf Air flies passengers from Dubai International Airport onto its hub at Bahrain International Airport in Manama.
Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest airport for international travel before the coronavirus pandemic, said the collision forced them to shut down one of its two runways for two hours. It said operations were not affected by the closure.
On the other hand, a flydubai spokesperson said: “Fly Dubai flight FZ1461 from Dubai International Airport to Bishkek International Airport returned to the building this morning, July 22, due to a minor accident between one of our Boeing 737-800 new generation aircraft and another plane on the way out to the runway.
“The passengers continued their journey to Bishkek on another plane. We apologise for the inconvenience and the change in our passengers' travel plans. “flydubai will work with the authorities to investigate the incident.”
The Bahrain News Agency reported that Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, suffered an accident at Dubai International Airport after an airliner hit the tail of one of its planes.
