A major mishap was averted on Wednesday when the wingtips of two aircraft -- one of them taxiing and the other on the verge of takeoff -- touched each other at the Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai.
No passenger or crew member of either IndiGo or Kuwait Airways aircraft was hurt in the incident, which took place at around 0545 hours, airport sources said.
Both the aircraft are now grounded and the incident has been reported to the aviation regulator DGCA, they said.
Kuwait Airways' Airbus A330 was taxiing at the runway for parking while IndiGo's Airbus A320 was taking off for Kolkata via Jaipur, they said.
IndiGo, later in a statement, confirmed that the wing tip of its A320 plane did come in contact with the wing tip of the A330 (which was taxiing for parking) while taxing at the Mumbai airport on Wednesday morning.
"At 5:45 am (approximately) this morning, while the aircraft of this international airline was taxing toward the parking stand, at the same time an IndiGo flight was taxing to depart to Jaipur from Taxi Way N and W respectively connote the address of Taxi way. As 6E 207 flight from Mumbai to Jaipur was taxing out for departure under the ATC's instruction -- IndiGo pilot was advised to follow the international operator arrival," IndiGo said in the statement.
"Approximately at 5.45 am, the pilot of this international airline was advised by the ATC to move ahead to make way for IndiGo aircraft... due to the taxing process, the Airbus 320 aircraft of IndiGo came in contact with Airbus A330 aircraft of the international operator," the airline said.
As the wing tip of the two aircraft came in contact, an IndiGo passenger observed this and immediately alerted the crew who informed the pilots about this, IndiGo added.
The Pilot-in-Command operating IndiGo flight 6E 207 immediately decided to take the precautionary measure and returned the aircraft to the parking bay, it said adding later all passengers were safely accommodated to the other aircraft.
This matter is being investigated by the DGCA, the airline said.
Representative Image: Reuters
