The runway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, where a plane collided with a fire engine, killing two pilots and injuring dozens, reopened Thursday morning (March 26) after safety inspections and repairs.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said service resumed around 10 a.m. following inspections to ensure the runway met Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety standards.
Service resumes, but outages persist
Officials said the reopening of the second runway will help restore full operating capacity at one of the busiest airports in the United States. However, passengers have been advised to check their flight status as the disruption continues.
An investigation is underway
The wreckage of an Air Canada regional jet and a fire engine was cleared from the scene late Wednesday. The National Transportation Safety Board continues to investigate the accident.
Authorities said the fire engine was moved to a safe, undisclosed location, while the airline is expected to arrange for the plane to be recovered and assessed.
Airline response
Air Canada said the damaged plane would be moved to a hangar and that efforts were underway to reunite passengers with their luggage and belongings.
CEO Michael Rousseau also apologized after facing criticism for delivering a condolence message only in English, despite calls to communicate in French.
How the crash happened
The crash occurred late Sunday night when an Air Canada regional flight arriving from Montreal with 76 people on board struck an airport fire engine.
The truck was reportedly cleared to cross the runway to respond to a separate incident involving another aircraft.
Casualties and injuries
Two pilots were killed in the crash, and about 40 people were treated for injuries, including firefighters and a flight attendant who was thrown onto the tarmac while still strapped to her seat.
Most of the injured have since been released from the hospital.
