Planes Collide at Heathrow Airport, Delaying Ghana-Bound Flight

Two planes collided at Heathrow Airport, causing damage to both aircraft without any reported injuries or delays. The incident involved a British Airways plane with 121 passengers on board and a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9 at Terminal 3.

Virgin Atlantic stated that its empty Boeing 787-9 was being towed when the collision occurred, as it had just landed and was being transferred to a different area of the airfield. The collision happened when one of the wings of the aircraft being towed clipped the other plane.

The passengers on the British Airways flight were scheduled to depart to Accra, Ghana, but were provided an alternative aircraft after the collision. The delayed departure was rescheduled for later in the evening.

Both airlines are conducting investigations into the incident, with Virgin Atlantic performing maintenance checks on its aircraft which has been taken out of service. The tow movement was carried out by a ground-handling company contracted by Virgin Atlantic.

Heathrow Airport assured that emergency services responded to the incident, but no passenger injuries were reported, and there were no anticipated ongoing impacts on airport operations. The Met Police is supporting the airport authorities and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch in the investigation.

A witness, Alex Whittles, shared the collision on Twitter, capturing the moment when the Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9 collided with the British Airways A350. The incident caused a brief emergency response at Heathrow Airport, with multiple fire engines attending the scene.

The British Airways plane had arrived from Accra and was getting ready for its return journey when the collision occurred. Despite the delay, the airport did not experience significant disruptions to its flight schedule on the day of the incident.

Overall, the collision at Heathrow Airport, involving British Airways and Virgin Atlantic planes, led to a temporary delay for the Ghana-bound passengers, sparking investigations and safety checks to ensure airfield operations were not impacted. The cooperation between the airlines, emergency services, and authorities has contributed to managing the situation effectively.