John F. Kennedy airport in New York is one of the busiest airports in the country.
Coordination between crews on the ground and crews in the air is essential for an airport that facilitates 1,200 departures daily.
However, for the second time this week, two planes came dangerously close to creating havoc on the runways at JFK.
A JetBlue (JBLU) plane bound for Puerto Rico on Jan. 18 bumped into another empty plane on the tarmac as the outbound plane was being pushed back from the gate and preparing to taxi before takeoff.
After the collision, the plane was returned to the gate and the passengers were ordered to disembark before both aircraft were put out of service, the airline said, according to the Daily Mail.
No injuries were reported from the collision.
The FAA is investigating the incident, saying "JetBlue Flight 1603 struck the tail of a parked JetBlue aircraft while pushing back from the gate around tam at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York... Both aircraft were Airbus 320. No injuries were reported, and the FAA will investigate."
JFK's Second Incident This Week
JFK airport was nearly the site of a fatal crash earlier this week after a plane about to take off nearly ran into another aircraft.
A crash would have happened if not for a quick thinking air traffic controller who alerted the Delta Air Lines (DAL) plane that was preparing to take off.
Delta's Boeing 737 was able to stop its take off about 1,000 feet before colliding with an American Airlines Boing 777 that had crossed the runaway from an adjacent taxiway, the FAA said.
"The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority. We are conducting a full internal review and cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board in their investigation," American Airlines said in a statement.
Industrywide Failures
Airlines aren't the only ones failing. Regulators meant to make sure everything runs smoothly are also faltering in 2023.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Jan. 11 imposed a nationwide ground stop, owing to a computer error that forced a 90-minute halt to all U.S. departing flights.
“Notice to Air Missions system, known as NOTAM, had failed at around 4:18 am Eastern time, preventing it from updating pilots and flight personnel from receiving updates on conditions, facility changes, hazards and procedures," the FAA later clarified.
In total, more than 10,000 U.S. flights were delayed and 1,300 were canceled by that Wednesday afternoon, and airlines such as Southwest Airlines (LUV), United Airlines (UAL), Delta Air Lines (DAL), and American Airlines (AAL) reported 40% or more of their flights were delayed or canceled that day.
