An IndiGo Airbus A320, stationed at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU), was hit by an unmanned catering vehicle. No passengers or crew were present at the time of the accident, and no injuries were reported.
What happened to the IndiGo aircraft?
This accident occurred on Tuesday, April 7, around 9:30 p.m., in parking bay 51 at the Kolkata airport. The third-party catering vehicle on the apron collided with the parked aircraft, with its engine, when the plane had been waiting ahead of its scheduled departure.
Engineers have begun detailed checks to assess the impact of the accident on the aircraft, and IndiGo Airlines is working with the authorities to investigate it.
IndiGo said in a statement that:
“The aircraft was scheduled to operate flight 6E 6663 from Kolkata to Guwahati. An alternate aircraft has been arranged to operate the flight.”
The airline also confirmed that the aircraft has been grounded for inspection and maintenance before resuming its operations.
Unmanned vehicle at the Kolkata airport
The investigations are ongoing, and it is yet unclear how the unmanned vehicle was moved and how it hit the aircraft. The driverless vehicle carried the Oberoi catering officials.
Initial reports suggested that the damage is quite serious. The authorities are examining possible lapses in ground safety procedures.
This is not the first time the airline’s aircraft have been involved in such accidents. In February, IndiGo’s 6E 791 collided with Air India‘s AI 2732 while taxiing at the Mumbai airport.
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