New Delhi, India: A ground collision between two commercial aircraft operated by SpiceJet and Akasa Air at Indira Gandhi International Airport has prompted a regulatory investigation, after both planes sustained damage during taxi operations on Thursday afternoon.
The incident occurred at approximately 2:15 PM at Terminal 1, involving a SpiceJet Boeing 737-700 (VT-SLB) arriving from Leh and an Akasa Air Boeing 737 MAX 8 scheduled to operate flight QP1406 from Delhi to Hyderabad.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the SpiceJet aircraft was taxiing into its designated parking bay after landing when its right winglet struck the left horizontal stabiliser (tail section) of the Akasa aircraft.
The Akasa aircraft had already been pushed back from its bay and was positioned for engine start, effectively stationary at the time of impact.
Preliminary findings indicate that the SpiceJet aircraft had been cleared by air traffic control to taxi toward bay No. 106 after confirming separation from the Akasa aircraft. However, during the manoeuvre, the aircraft reportedly executed a turn without wing walker clearance, leading to contact between the two planes.
Flight tracking data and initial reports suggest the SpiceJet jet was pulling into the gate, while the Akasa aircraft was in pushback or preparing to taxi out for departure.
The collision resulted in visible structural damage to both aircraft:
- SpiceJet: Right winglet damaged
- Akasa Air: Left-hand horizontal stabiliser damaged
The winglet of the SpiceJet aircraft briefly lodged into the Akasa aircraft’s tail section following impact.
No injuries were reported. All passengers and crew onboard the Akasa aircraft were safely disembarked, and the airline arranged alternate travel for passengers bound for Hyderabad SpiceJet described the incident as a “ground occurrence while taxiing”, confirming that its aircraft has been withdrawn from service pending checks.
Akasa Air stated that its aircraft was stationary when the contact occurred, and confirmed that all standard safety protocols were followed after the incident.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has launched a detailed investigation into the incident. The probe will examine ground handling procedures, ATC instructions, aircraft separation standards, and taxi coordination protocols.
