Two Vietnam Airlines planes collided on the runway at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Friday after a Boeing 787 taxiing for takeoff to Ho Chi Minh City clipped the tail of a stationary Airbus A321 preparing to depart for Dien Bien.
Footage taken from a passenger window showed the Boeing’s right wingtip slicing through the Airbus’ tail, jolting the aircraft and scattering debris onto the taxiway. Both planes sustained damage to their tail and wingtip, forcing them to be grounded for inspection. Replacement aircraft were arranged, and all 380 passengers on the two flights were safe with no injuries reported.
Vietnam Airlines has suspended two pilots from each aircraft pending investigation.
The incident follows several recent runway close calls, including an American Airlines wingtip collision at Washington, D.C.’s Reagan National Airport in April and a near-miss at New York’s LaGuardia Airport in May, raising ongoing concerns over runway safety.
