Summary
- A Delta Air Lines Boeing 737 collided with a stairs truck, damaging its left wing while taxiing in the Cayman Islands.
- The incident caused a delay of approximately 20 minutes and a relief flight was arranged for affected passengers.
- Delta Air Lines plans to expand its summer routes in Europe, serving 27 European airports.
A Delta Air Lines Boeing 737 collided with a stairs truck while taxiing away from its parking position at George Town (GCM) in the Cayman Islands on February 9, 2024. Following the incident, the aircraft suffered damage to its left wing.
The incident details
The incident occurred as the Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-900ER, registered as N846DN, was preparing to taxi out for its DL 1870 flight between George Town Owen Roberts International Airport (GCM) and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) in the United States.
Photo: The Global Guy | Shutterstock
During its taxi-out, the Boeing 737-900ER collided with a stair truck, damaging its left wing. Photographs and video footage of the incident appeared on social media shortly after the incident.
The Cayman Islands Airports Authority (CIAA) confirmed the incident. In a statement, the authority said that the incident affected flight operations for approximately 20 minutes while the Cayman Islands Fire Service was diverted to the scene.
In response to the incident, Delta Air Lines arranged for a relief flight for those passengers who remained in Grand Cayman and were initially scheduled to depart on Delta flight DL 1870 to Atlanta (ATL). Commenting on the incident, CIAA officials said:
“The safety and security of our passengers is our top priority. We are conducting a thorough investigation to understand the circumstances that led to this occurrence and collaborating closely with airport partners to prevent such incidents in the future.”
Delta’s leased Boeing 737-900ER is 8.4 years old, according to Planespotters.net. Currently, Delta has a fleet of 979 aircraft, with 163 of them being Boeing 737-900ERs.
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Busy months ahead
Delta is already preparing for the busy period, with summer beginning in four months. The most significant expansion in summer routes is notable in Europe, where Delta intends to serve 27 European airports this summer.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
According to a recent analysis by Simple Flying, this is slightly fewer than United, which has 30 destinations planned, but significantly more than American, which has 17 destinations planned, and JetBlue, which has six destinations.
In 2024, Naples, a well-known Italian city and tourist hub, makes its debut in the network, while Shannon rejoins after last being served in 2019. Nevertheless, four destinations previously served between 2019 and 2023 have been removed: Dubrovnik in Croatia, Düsseldorf in Germany, Glasgow in the United Kingdom, and Ponta Delgada in Portugal.
To facilitate the summer route network, the airline boasts an extensive fleet, including a range of widebodies suitable for long-haul flights such as Airbus A350s, Boeing 767s, and Airbus A330s.
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