easyJet Manchester Airport: Video shows piece of plane on grass and fire engines on scene after planes collide

Footage shows fire engines on the scene of a plane collision at Manchester Airport on August 15, with a piece of an easyJet plane lying on the grass.

Two flights, easyJet EZY2267 to Gibraltar, and easyJet EZY2117 to Paris Charles de Gaulle, collided on the taxiway at Manchester Airport at 6.33am, airport bosses confirmed.

All flights in and out of the airport were suspended for a few minutes following the collision.

The planes were then checked to make sure they were safe to taxi back to a remote stand, so as not to take up space on the main terminal, and passengers were then bussed back to the terminal building.

Passenger Phil Aspin says “it was a big thud, the whole plane shook”

Phil Aspin, 34, from Newcastle, was sitting in seat 12F next to the emergency exit gearing up to jet off to Gibraltar when he heard a ‘loud thud’ as a nearby easyJet plane getting ready to take off to fly to Paris crashed into their wing.

The disrupted passenger said: “We were about to take off, we were about 10 minutes away from taking off.

“We were meant to leave at 6.15. The pilot was on the tannoy to us all saying ‘it’ll be 10 minutes, we’re the next plane about to take off’.

“There’s a V in the [taxiway] and we were going to the left hand side, and there was another plane coming on the right hand side, another easyJet flight.

“There was a proper thud, a really loud thud while the pilot was talking to us.

“We were sat next to the window, we looked outside and my friend saw bits of the plane fly past the window.

“We could see it happen but everyone else didn’t know what was going on - the wings had collided.

“There seems to be more damage on the other plane than ours, ours has just had the end chopped off, it was on the floor.

“There was a guy just picking up bits of plane off the ground. Our pilot on the tannoy said ‘there’s clearly been a collision here, give us 10 minutes’.

“Next thing we know there were fire engines turning up, there were people on the side of the plane trying to work out what was going on.

“After that, the pilot said ‘this plane’s clearly damaged, we’re going to have to go back to the main airport’.”

It wasn’t until nearly 8am that Phil and his fellow passengers, who are travelling to a friend’s 50th birthday for the weekend, made it back to the terminal.

Now, the group, due to fly back on Sunday, is worried their whole trip might need to be cancelled.

He said: “I think everyone was just really shocked, because the pilot was talking to us at the time, it wasn’t just like we were sat there, we were all listening to the pilot and all of a sudden there was a massive thud.

“You could just tell the pilot didn’t know what was going on either, and then a few minutes later he said ‘there’s clearly been a collision’.

“There was a bit of disarray - people didn’t know what was going on, it was a big thud, the whole plane shook, as you’d imagine.

“Even though it’s just two wings it’s obviously caused quite a bit of impact.

“I think both planes are probably knackered really.”

An easyJet spokesperson says passengers “have been provided with refreshment vouchers whilst replacement aircraft are arranged to operate the flights”

An easyJet spokesperson said: “easyJet can confirm that the wing tips of two aircraft came into contact whilst taxiing to the runway at Manchester Airport this morning [August 15].

"The aircraft returned to stand to disembark customers who have been provided with refreshment vouchers whilst replacement aircraft are arranged to operate the flights.

“We apologise to customers for the delay to their flights.

“The safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority.”