In a startling incident yesterday morning (Tuesday), two planes full of holidaymakers collided on the tarmac at Palma Airport in Mallorca. The accident, which occurred at approximately 9:00am, resulted in damage to one of the aircraft's wingtips. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the operation of the busy airport was unaffected.
According to local press, the incident involved an aircraft from Condor, serving the Palma-Frankfurt route, and another from Air Europa. Both planes were engaged in ground manoeuvres at Son Sant Joan Airport when the collision took place.
The collision appears to have happened as the Air Europa plane, which had previously flown in from Barcelona, was approaching the terminal when it hit the rear of the stationary Condor plane, which was awaiting permission to taxi.
Eyewitnesses described the collision as occurring at a low speed, with passengers on the Frankfurt-bound Condor plane saying they heard a loud noise as it braked before impact. Following the collision, both planes sustained damage, and debris was visible on the tarmac.
Immediate action was taken by the airport's emergency services. Remarkably, the Air Europa plane was able to continue along the tarmac until it reached the terminal, where passengers disembarked as usual.
Authorities from the airport's governing body, AENA, have indicated that the incident will be thoroughly investigated by the Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission (CIAIAC).
Speaking about the incident, a passenger on the Palma-Frankfurt flight told media outlet Última Hora, "We heard a loud noise from the plane as it braked before impact. We have experienced it calmly, and there have been no injuries or scenes of panic. Emergency teams immediately examined the plane, and they asked us passengers to wait inside the cabin before being transferred by bus to the terminal."
Remarkably, the incident had no significant impact on the operation of other flights at the airport. However, the Cóndor plane scheduled for Frankfurt, originally set to depart at 9:15am, experienced a delay, departing at 10:30am. Passengers on both planes are grateful that the incident did not result in injuries and have praised the swift response of emergency teams.
