Two planes collided at JFK Airport in New York early Saturday amid chaotic scenes brought on by the recent shutdown of the airport due to a massive snowstorm.
Several planes trying to land at JFK were left stranded for up to seven hours with some forced to turn around due to major capacity issues. The collision occurred when a China Southern plane struck the tail end of a Kuwait Airways aircraft at terminal four, according to the Port Authority.
Both airplanes were damaged as a result but no one was injured in the incident.
Kuwait Airways confirmed the accident on their Twitter account, adding that all passengers had been taken to hotels while alternative flights were arranged.The airline added that they were working with authorities at the New York airport to investigate the incident.
Meanwhile long delays have been reported at the airport with planes apparently forced to wait on the tarmac for several hours for a gate. FlightRadar 24 posted a screenshot Friday night of ground traffic at the airport showing what appear to be several dozen planes waiting.
Delays are still ongoing at the airport and, according to flight trackers, several flights headed for New York turned around Saturday morning due to the capacity issues on the ground.
Passengers have been venting their frustrations online, adding that they are also experiencing long waits for baggage reclaims with some travellers reporting missing luggage.
Flights resumed at 7am Friday after Thursday’s suspension of operations due to the ‘bomb cyclone’ which blasted the US east coast with freezing weather. The Port Authority said the backlog of flights will cause delays at the airport into the weekend, reported NBC.