An Air Serbia Airbus A320 sustained damage after coming into contact with an easyJet aircraft at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport yesterday evening. The incident occurred following the aircraft’s arrival in the French capital. The Air Serbia jet, registered YU-APS, suffered damage to its right wingtip after it was struck by the sharklet of the easyJet aircraft while manoeuvring on the apron. Air Serbia said its aircraft was stationary at the time and awaiting further instructions from air traffic control. “No injuries were reported in the incident. All Air Serbia passengers and crew members are safe”, the airline said.
The A320 has been taken out of service for a detailed technical inspection, while Air Serbia is cooperating with airport authorities and other relevant parties as an investigation into the circumstances of the incident gets underway. The carrier said any potential impact on its scheduled operations would become known once the inspection has been completed. A passenger who was on board the A320 told EX-YU Aviation News that travellers remained on the aircraft for almost two hours following the incident. Both the fire department and police arrived at the scene. According to the passenger, none of those on board felt the collision and everyone was unharmed.
The incident comes just over two months after an Air Serbia ATR72-600, registered YU-ASF, was damaged at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. Ground service equipment belonging to an external handling operator came into contact with the parked turboprop on July 28 while services were being provided to another airline. The ATR is yet to return into service. Due to the extent of the damage and the required repairs, the aircraft is expected to remain grounded until at least the end of this month.
