Air Canada Express plane collides with ground vehicle at New York’s LaGuardia Airport; FAA halts flights amid emergency

An Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a ground vehicle while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Monday evening, triggering an emergency response and forcing authorities to halt flight operations.

The CRJ-900 aircraft, arriving from Montreal and operated by Jazz Aviation, Air Canada’s regional partner, struck the vehicle at an estimated speed of 24 miles per hour (39 kph), according to flight tracking website Flightradar24.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop for all flights at the airport, citing an “aircraft emergency”. The regulator said departures would remain halted until 0530 GMT, with a high likelihood of extension. In a separate notice to airmen, the FAA indicated the airport could remain shut until 1800 GMT, though no further details were provided.

Airport operations were significantly disrupted, with LaGuardia’s website showing that arriving flights were either diverted to other airports or returned to their points of origin.

Emergency agencies responded swiftly to the incident. New York City Emergency Management said it is aware of the incident at LaGuardia Airport and is responding, adding that there is nothing to share at this time. New York Fire said it responded to a reported incident involving a plane and a vehicle at LaGuardia Airport.

Unverified visuals circulating on social media showed apparent damage to the nose of the aircraft, with the plane tilted upward. Reuters could not immediately verify the footage.

According to initial visuals from the runway, an Air Canada Express aircraft was involved in a collision with a fire truck at the airport. At least five people are reported to be in critical condition, according to preliminary information.

Air Canada and the FAA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Further details are awaited as the situation develops.

With inputs from Reuters