PAL, Saudia aircraft damaged in NAIA ground incident; probe launched
File photo: Ariel Fernandez
A ground incident at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) late Tuesday night, July 7, damaged aircraft belonging to Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Saudia Airlines.
At around 11:38 p.m., Saudia Flight SV871, a Boeing 787 bound for Jeddah, struck the tail section of a parked PAL Airbus A320 (RP C8612) while taxiing for departure.
The impact damaged the PAL jet’s vertical stabilizer and the Saudia aircraft’s wingtip.
Philippine Airlines confirmed no passengers or crew were on board its aircraft at the time.
Saudia passengers were safely disembarked, and Flight SV871 was cancelled.
Both planes have been withdrawn from service pending technical assessment.
New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) said no injuries were reported and airport operations were not significantly affected.
Ground operations and safety teams secured the area, repositioned the aircraft, and notified the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
A full investigation is underway, including a review of airside communications and aircraft movement records.
NNIC said it is cooperating with the airlines and aviation authorities to ensure a thorough and objective probe.
NAIA continues normal operations.