Two 737's collided at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport

A SpiceJet Boeing 737-700 which had traveled from Leh- Kushok Bakula Rimpochhe Airport (IXL/VILH) to Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL/VIDP) was involved in a ground accident with an Akasa Air Boeing 737 MAX 8. The SpiceJet was taxiing when the aircraft struck the stationary Akasa Airplane, damaging both aircraft but causing no injuries. 

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The incident occurred around 2:15 pm at Terminal 1 when SpiceJet flight SG-124 from Leh was taxiing to its stand and struck Akasa Air flight QP-1406, which had completed pushback for Hyderabad-Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD/VOHS). The impact damaged SpiceJet’s right winglet and Akasa’s left-hand horizontal stabiliser. Both planes were grounded, and all passengers and crew were safely disembarked, with Akasa arranging alternative travel for affected passengers.

This collision is the second such incident in just two months, after an Air India and IndiGo aircraft were involved in a minor ground collision at Mumbai airport in February. It also comes amid a spate of safety-related events at Delhi airport, including emergency landings, engine failures, and runway breaches over the past year. The recurrence of such incidents has amplified calls for stricter monitoring and adherence to aviation safety protocols.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has grounded the involved SpiceJet pilots and the air traffic controller pending investigation. 

Airline Information:

Airline: Akasa Air

Code: QP/AKJ

Registration: VT-YBA
Boeing 737 - Max 8
Serial Number 61289

Engines 2 x CFMI LEAP-1B
First Flew: 21/04/2022
Age 4 years

Airline Information:

Airline: SpiceJet

Code: SG/SEJ
Aircraft: Boeing 737-7GL

Registration: VT-SLB

Serial Number: 34760

Engines 2 x CFMI CFM56-7B20/3
First Flew: 02/08/2007
Age: 18.7 years