An Air Canada Express flight arriving from Montreal collided with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport on Monday morning, triggering a major emergency response and a total grounding of flights at one of America’s busiest aviation hubs.
The aircraft, a CRJ-900 operated by regional partner Jazz Aviation, was taxiing toward the gate in poor weather conditions when it struck the vehicle at approximately 24 mph.
The impact has left four firefighters in a critical condition, according to reports. Visuals shared on social media from the airfield show significant damage to the nose and forward fuselage of the jet, which was carrying around 100 passengers at the time. While emergency crews evaluated those on board, air traffic control recordings revealed a frantic series of commands in the moments leading up to the crash, with controllers repeatedly shouting “Stop, stop, stop” to the driver of the truck.
In the wake of the collision, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) halted all operations at the airport, diverting incoming flights to other regional hubs or sending them back to their points of origin. Official notices suggest the closure could last until at least 18:00 GMT, further paralyse a facility already struggling with extreme congestion.
Even before this morning’s accident, LaGuardia was mired in chaos due to a funding standoff in Washington affecting the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). With many agents refusing to work without pay, travellers have faced check-in queues lasting up to three hours. The political impasse centres on the Department of Homeland Security, with Democrats seeking greater oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following reports of excessive force during raids.
In a move to bypass the gridlock, tech mogul Elon Musk has reportedly offered to cover the unpaid salaries of TSA staff. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has announced that additional ICE personnel will be deployed to major airports to assist with the mounting backlogs.
