Montreal: An Air Canada Express flight from Montreal collided with a ground vehicle while landing at LaGuardia Airport, triggering a temporary closure of the airport.
According to the New York Police Department, the aircraft struck a Port Authority vehicle on March 23. The fire department also confirmed it responded to an incident involving a plane and a vehicle on Runway 4.
The aircraft, a CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation, Air Canada’s regional partner, was travelling at approximately 24mph (39km/h) at the time of the collision on the evening of March 22, as reported by Flightradar24.
Following the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for all departures to LaGuardia due to the emergency.
The closure was initially set to remain in effect until 05:30 GMT, with officials indicating a high probability of an extension. A separate notice to airmen suggested the airport could remain closed until 18:00 GMT.
The FAA described the situation as an emergency but did not provide additional details. Meanwhile, unverified footage circulating on social media appeared to show damage to the aircraft’s nose and the plane tilted upward, though Reuters reported it could not immediately verify the videos.
LaGuardia’s official website indicated that arriving flights were either diverted to other airports or returned to their points of origin following the incident.
Additionally, New York City Emergency Management warned the public to expect disruptions around the airport in Queens, including cancellations, road closures, traffic delays, and an increased presence of emergency personnel.
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