Two planes collide at Heathrow Airport

NEW DELHI: A collision occurred involving two planes at Heathrow Airport, one operated by British Airways carrying 121 passengers and the other by Virgin Atlantic.

There were no injuries reported, and airport operations remained unaffected despite damage to the wings of both aircraft, according to the BBC report.

Virgin Atlantic's Boeing 787-9, which was empty at the time, was being towed from Terminal 3 to another part of the airfield following its recent landing when the collision transpired. Meanwhile, British Airways arranged an alternative aircraft for its passengers, who were en route to Accra, Ghana.

Virgin Atlantic initiated investigations and conducted maintenance checks on its aircraft, which is now temporarily out of service. The ground-handling company contracted by Virgin Atlantic was responsible for the towing operation.

Heathrow Airport's spokesperson assured that collaboration with emergency services and airline partners was underway to address the incident.

"We are working alongside emergency services and our airline partners in response to an incident involving two aircraft on the ground earlier today. At present, no passenger injuries have been reported and we do not anticipate there to be any ongoing impact to airport operations," the spokesperson said.

Airfield and runway collisions, once common, are now exceedingly rare due to advancements in tracking technology and safety protocols.

Virgin stated that they are investigating the collision, and the plane involved has been grounded for maintenance checks. Engineering teams are also inspecting the stationary British Airways aircraft. Passengers from the affected flight have been transferred to another aircraft.

Despite the incident, there has been no disruption to services during the busy weekend following the Easter break as holidaymakers return.

(With inputs from agencies)