Published on •Updated
Two aircraft collided at Miami International Airport on Saturday night, leaving two people with minor injuries, according to officials.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said a Copa Airlines Boeing 737 had struck the nose of a UPS Boeing 767 as the two planes were taxiing at the southeastern Florida airport.
“Air traffic controllers had told the UPS crew to give way to the Copa flight,” the agency said, adding that the Copa flight was taxiing to the gate and the UPS flight was taxiing for departure to Bogotá.
In a statement to Euronews, MIA communications director Greg Chin said the incident occurred at around 9:15 pm and that there was “no impact to airport operations” as flights were directed to other taxiways.
“Two patients were treated on the scene by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue for minor injuries and did not require medical transport,” he added.
Copa Airlines confirmed that one of its planes had been involved in a collision at the airport as it taxied to the terminal after arriving from Panama City.
“According to preliminary information, a collision occurred between a cargo aircraft and the left-wing tip of the Boeing 737-800NG while both aircraft were moving along the airport’s taxiways,” the carrier said.
There were 166 passengers and six crew members on board the Copa plane when the incident occurred, it continued, adding that it regretted “any inconvenience and concern this situation may have caused” and that the safety of its passengers and crew members remained its priority.
Images circulating on social media appear to show damage to the nose of the UPS plane.
It came as travellers across the US continued to face disruption following a nationwide ground stop that caused chaos at airports this weekend.
Thousands of flights were cancelled on both Friday and Saturday after the stoppage – which was lifted on Friday evening – was ordered due to a “telecommunications outage.”
Airlines are expecting to return to their full operating schedules by Sunday night, the FAA has said.