By Our Correspondent

National News – A regional Air Canada Express flight collided with a fire truck late Sunday night at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, causing a temporary shutdown of the busy airport.

The CRJ-900 aircraft, operated by Jazz Aviation and arriving from Montreal as Flight AC8646, struck a Port Authority fire truck around 11:40 pm local time while the vehicle was responding to another emergency on the runway.

Authorities have yet to confirm if passengers or fire crew were injured in the collision.

The incident involved 76 people onboard, including four crew members, according to Jazz Aviation.

FlightRadar24 reported that the plane struck the emergency vehicle as it rolled down Runway 4.

New York’s Port Authority immediately grounded all flights and warned travelers of possible extended delays.

Emergency response teams were deployed to secure the area and investigate the circumstances of the crash.

LaGuardia Airport, located in Queens and serving over 33 million passengers annually, had already faced flight disruptions due to poor weather conditions and staffing issues linked to a federal funding lapse.

The airport underwent an $8 billion redevelopment in 2024 to modernize terminals, runways, and access roads, yet ground incidents continue to pose challenges.

Authorities advised commuters to expect road closures, traffic delays, and cancellations while emergency teams respond.

The collision marks another serious aviation incident in the United States, following prior accidents involving helicopters and ground vehicles near passenger jets.

Investigators are working to determine how the fire truck and plane came into the same path and whether operational procedures can be improved to prevent future accidents.

This unexpected collision has raised safety concerns about ground operations at major airports, highlighting the need for strict coordination between aircraft and emergency services to ensure passenger and crew safety.