Two United Airlines planes collided Friday evening on the tarmac at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport, capping off a day of widespread flight delays and cancellations caused by severe staffing shortages linked to the ongoing government shutdown.
A United Airlines jet arriving from Chicago struck the tail of another United aircraft preparing for departure to Houston, the airline confirmed. No injuries were reported, and both planes returned to the gate where passengers safely disembarked. United said it is working to rebook affected travelers.
Passengers on board the arriving flight described feeling a sudden “bump” before learning they had hit another aircraft. “We all felt a bump during taxi to the runway but didn’t know it was another plane until the captain said it was,” one traveler told the New York Post.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey referred all inquiries to United Airlines, which is cooperating with investigators.
LaGuardia was among several major airports across the country facing extensive disruptions on Friday due to unpaid FAA and TSA employees amid the shutdown. Data from FlightAware showed more than 570 flight delays and 130 cancellations at LaGuardia alone.
New York City’s three main airports—LaGuardia, JFK, and Newark—were under ground delays and wind alerts throughout the day, worsening the gridlock. The FAA reported that nearly half of its key facilities are experiencing staffing shortages, with almost 80% of air traffic controllers in the New York area absent.
“After 31 days without pay, air traffic controllers are under immense stress and fatigue,” the FAA said in a statement, calling for an end to the shutdown to restore safety and efficiency to the skies.
Nationwide, more than 5,700 flights were delayed and nearly 500 canceled by Friday evening, marking one of the most chaotic travel days since the shutdown began.
Source: independent.co
