Two Delta Air Lines planes collided while taxiing for takeoff at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Tuesday morning. A Delta Airbus A350 made contact with the tail of a Delta CRJ 900 regional jet operated by Endeavor Airlines, according to Delta spokesperson Anthony Black.
No injuries were reported, and the passengers on the regional flight were taken back to the terminal by bus. The Airbus A350, meanwhile, taxied to an airport concourse where its passengers disembarked at their gate, as confirmed by an airport spokesperson.
Images shared on social media showed the regional jet’s vertical tail separated from the aircraft, with airport rescue vehicles on the scene. An air traffic controller was overheard stating, “That whole tail of that CRJ is off.”
Delta assured that passengers would be rebooked on alternate flights. There were 221 passengers on the Airbus headed to Tokyo and 56 passengers on the regional flight bound for Lafayette, Louisiana.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the incident, noting that the affected runway and several nearby taxiways were closed. The FAA is investigating, and Delta is cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board and other authorities. Both planes have been moved to maintenance hangars for further assessment.
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, ranked as the busiest airport by passenger volume in 2023, is expected to serve around 110 million passengers in 2024.
