The wingtip of a taxiing IndiGo aircraft grazed a stationary Air India Express plane at Kolkata Airport on Wednesday. The Air India Express was awaiting clearance for its scheduled operation to Chennai.
In a statement released by Air India Express, a spokesperson said, “The wingtip of a taxiing aircraft of another airline grazed one of our aircraft, which was stationary and awaiting clearance to enter the runway at Kolkata. The aircraft has since returned to the bay and further investigation is underway, for which we are coordinating with the regulator and airport authorities. We apologise for the inconvenience caused to guests due to external circumstances.”
The incident resulted in a delay for IndiGo flight 6E 6152 between Kolkata and Darbhanga. In a statement, IndiGo Airlines said, “A minor graze between a taxiing IndiGo aircraft and that of another carrier was reported from Kolkata Airport. The aircraft returned to bay for inspection and necessary action, as per protocol. Consequently, IndiGo flight 6E 6152 between Kolkata and Darbhanga has been delayed.”
The airline has provided refreshments to all passengers and arranged an alternate aircraft to minimise delay and inconvenience. IndiGo prioritises passenger safety above all else and will submit an incident report to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in due course, as per protocol.
Following the incident, the DGCA has taken the pilots of the IndiGo plane off the roster. The aviation agency confirmed this in a statement, saying, “DGCA off-rostered pilots of IndiGo airlines after the IndiGo plane hit stationary Air India Express during taxiing in Kolkata today.”
Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
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