Singapore – A Singapore Airlines flight from Newark, New York, was cancelled after an aerobridge collided with the stationary plane on March 23 (Saturday).
According to Channel NewsAsia Flight SQ22, which was home-bound from Newark, was parked at its designated parking bay at Newark Liberty International Airport after arriving from a long-haul flight from Singapore when the aerobridge “came into contact” with the plane’s left engine.
The airline said in a statement that “the incident happened while the aerobridge was being connected to the aircraft door for passengers to disembark.”
Due to the incident, the return flight SQ21 was cancelled. The affected passengers, 147 in total, were provided with alternative flight arrangements.
All 150 passengers and 17 crew members on board during the incident disembarked safely, and the plane was grounded for repairs, said SIA.
The passengers affected with the cancelled flight were given a notice stating that a free buffet breakfast at the Mariott Newark Hotel will be provided while waiting for further details on the rescheduled flight.
Passengers with missed connections to or out of Singapore were given the necessary assistance on re-bookings or hotel accommodations by SIA staff.
“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused. Thank you for your kind understanding,” SIA said.
Launched in 2018, flight SQ22 is a 19-hour non-stop flight from Singapore to New York, the world’s current longest commercial flight.
SIA is also the first airline in the world to operate the Airbus 350-900 ultra-long-range (ULR) plane.