How did Akasa, SpiceJet aircraft collide on ground at Delhi airport? All you need to know about IGI incident

An Akasa Air aircraft and a SpiceJet plane suffered damage after coming into contact during a ground movement at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi on Thursday afternoon, the civil aviation ministry said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated a detailed investigation into the incident, including examination of ground handling procedures.

The watchdog said the air traffic controller concerned and the involved pilots of SpiceJet have been off-rostered pending investigation.

Both Boeing 737 aircraft have been grounded at the airport after the incident.

How the two aircraft came into contact

The ground incident involved a SpiceJet Boeing 737-700 aircraft operating flight SG-124 from Leh to Delhi and an Akasa Air Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft operating flight QP-1406 from Delhi to Hyderabad near bay number 106 at Terminal 1, according to an official statement issued late Thursday night.

During taxiing, the right winglet of the SpiceJet aircraft came into contact with the left horizontal stabiliser of the Akasa Air plane, resulting in damage to both aircraft. They have been grounded for inspection and necessary repairs.

As per preliminary information, the Akasa Air aircraft had been pushed back from bay number 104 and was positioned for engine start.

Meanwhile, the SpiceJet aircraft, which was holding near bay number 108, was cleared by Air Traffic Control (ATC) to taxi to bay number 106 after the pilot confirmed adequate separation from the Akasa plane.

However, during the manoeuvre, the SpiceJet aircraft executed a turn without wing walker clearance, leading to the contact, the statement said.

The airline said all passengers and crew were safely disembarked.

"In line with established protocols, the relevant authorities have been informed, and the matter is under investigation," it added.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation said it is closely monitoring the situation and taking all necessary steps to ensure adherence to safety standards and prevent recurrence of such incidents.