Plane collision at LaGuardia halts traffic after runway incident

A late-night landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport turned into a runway emergency after an Air Canada Express flight struck a ground vehicle, forcing a temporary shutdown of one of the city’s busiest transport hubs.

According to New York police, the aircraft “collided with a port authority vehicle” as it landed. Emergency services responded to what the fire department described as “a reported incident involving a plane and vehicle” on runway four.

The flight, Air Canada Express 8646 from Montreal, was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, according to preliminary airline information. The aircraft, a CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation, hit the vehicle at an estimated speed of about 24mph (39km/h), based on flight tracking data.

The collision triggered an immediate operational halt. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for all departures to LaGuardia, citing an aircraft emergency, with the closure initially set until early morning hours and a high likelihood of extension.

By early Monday, the disruption had spread across the airport’s schedule. Arriving flights were diverted or sent back to their origin points, while local authorities warned of wider knock-on effects around the airport. New York’s emergency management agency urged travellers to expect cancellations, traffic delays and road closures in the Queens area.

Details about the cause of the collision remain limited. Unverified footage circulating online appeared to show damage to the aircraft’s nose, though officials have not confirmed the extent of the impact or whether there were injuries.