LaGuardia Airport, along with two other New York-area airports, has seen a significant uptick in cancellations due to severe weather and staffing shortages. According to FlightAware data, over 20% of flights departing from the airport were canceled on July 27. However, those factors were not the cause of a recently scheduled Delta flight’s cancellation.
A Frontier Airlines plane collided with a Delta Air Lines aircraft at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) in North Carolina on July 27. The airport confirmed the incident to TheTravel. The Delta flight was scheduled to depart for New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), which is a major hub for the carrier.
Delta Air Lines And Frontier Aircraft Collide On Runway At North Carolina Airport
Frontier Airlines flight 2395 collided with a Delta Air Lines flight DL5051 while pushing back at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on July 27 at 7:00 p.m. local time. Delta Air Lines told TheTravel that the Frontier plane’s wing made contact with the Endeavor Air-operated aircraft’s tail.
The Delta Connection flight was scheduled for the New York airport, while the Frontier flight was scheduled for Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).
The ultra-low cost carrier confirmed the incident, stating that no injuries were reported.
“Yesterday evening, as Frontier flight 2395 was pushing back from the gate at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) to depart for George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston (IAH), the aircraft made contact with another airline’s parked aircraft. No injuries were reported,” the airline said in a statement to TheTravel.
The airport echoed a similar statement to TheTravel, also confirming that there were no reported injuries.
Frontier added that passengers received compensation, including vouchers for meals and hotel stays.
“Passengers were provided vouchers for meals and future travel, as well as hotel accommodations upon request, and were accommodated on alternate flights departing earlier today,” the carrier told TheTravel.
Both flights were canceled. However, according to FlightAware data, the Frontier flight departed at 9:23 a.m. local time on July 28 — over 15 hours late. FlightRadar24 data shows that Frontier used a different aircraft to complete that flight.
Delta Air Lines Aircraft Taken Out Of Service After Runway Collision
Photos taken after the incident on social media show the Frontier plane, an Airbus A320neo, and the Delta Air Lines’ Bombardier CRJ-900. The Delta aircraft can carry 76 passengers, while the larger A320neo has more than double that passenger capacity.
Delta Air Lines confirmed the incident to TheTravel, adding that nobody was on board when the planes made contact.
“A Delta Connection aircraft, operated by Endeavor Air, was parked at a gate at Charlotte-Douglas airport when another aircraft pushing off its gate made contact. No customers or crew were on board,” Delta said in a statement to TheTravel.
Delta stated the Bombardier has been removed from service and will undergo maintenance review. The Atlanta-based carrier added that Endeavor Air will cooperate with authorities and others to review the incident.
Pushback is the process of a specialized vehicle pushing an aircraft backward from an airport gate, since many aircraft cannot reverse on their own.
It’s a slow process; however, it requires close coordination between the flight crew, tug operators, ramp personnel, and air traffic control, according to Simple Flying.
An error in positioning, communication, or timing can lead to an incident like this one. Cases like these don’t always end in everyone being safe, however.
More Recent Incidents Of Ground Collisions At U.S. Airports
In March 2026, a ground collision at LaGuardia Airport was fatal. Two Air Canada pilots were killed when the plane from Montreal collided with a rescue vehicle at the New York airport.
Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, confirmed that 41 people on the flight were taken to hospitals in Queens. Nine of the passengers were in serious condition.
“Sadly the two pilots are confirmed deceased and notifications are being made by Air Canada’s care team at this time,” Garcia said in a statement.
Jazz Aviation, a regional partner of Air Canada, confirmed that the flight was carrying 72 passengers from Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL), in addition to four crew members.
The rescue vehicle was responding to another incident in which a suspicious odor was detected on a United Airlines flight.
In Dec. 2025, a Japan Airlines aircraft and an Arkia Airlines aircraft collided on the ground at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The Israel-based carrier’s plane sustained damage to the front of the aircraft and the wing.
As in the most recent incident, one of the planes was parked when it was hit — in this case, the Japan Airlines plane. No injuries were reported, with neither plane carrying passengers. However, roughly 270 travelers were stranded until they were rebooked on a replacement aircraft.
In Feb. 2025, a Learjet 35A, owned by Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil, crashed into a Gulfstream 200 jet owned by Jet Pros II, LLC at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona. The Gulfstream had no passengers or crew on board, while four people were on board Neil’s jet — his girlfriend Rain Andreani, her friend, and two pilots.
Andreani reportedly suffered five broken ribs in the crash, while the pilot did not survive. Video from the airport showed the small aircraft sliding down the runway before colliding with the larger Gulfstream plane, lodging itself under its right wing. Fortunately, the latest incident resulted in no injuries or deaths. However, it highlights that while ground collisions are rare, they do still sometimes occur.
