Oct. 2 (UPI) — Two planes operated by Delta Air Lines subsidiary Endeavor Air collided Wednesday night on the tarmac of New York City’s LaGuardia Airport, according to reports, which said one person was injured.
Delta Air Lines described the incident in a statement as a “low-speed collision” between Endeavor Air Flight 5047 and Endeavor Flight 5155.
Flight 5047 was arriving from Charlotte, N.C., while Flight 5155 was to depart for Roanoke, Virginia.
Delta said preliminary information shows that the wing of Flight 5155 made contact with Flight 5047’s fuselage.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said the collision occurred at a gate at 9:58 p.m. EDT.
Delta said a flight attendant suffered a minor injury in the collision, while the port authority said they had been transported to a nearby hospital as a precaution.
“Delta teams at our New York-LaGuardia hub are working to ensure our customers are taken care of after two Delta Connection aircraft operated by Endeavor Air were involved in a low-speed collision during taxi,” Delta said in the statement.
“Delta will work with all relevant authorities to review what occurred as safety of our customers and people comes before all else. We apologize to our customers for the experience.”
The incident is the first to occur during the government shutdown, which has shuttered programs and left federal workers furloughed.
Earlier Wednesday, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association warned that government shutdowns “reduce the safety and efficiency” of the National Airspace System and erode safety.
“During a shutdown, critical safety support staff are furloughed, and support programs are suspended, making it difficult for air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals to perform at optimum levels,” it said in a statement.
