About 220 Azores Airlines passengers were left stranded overnight at Logan Airport, June 7, after the plane was damaged by ground equipment while moving to the runway. The plane was bound to the Azores, Lisbon, Portugal, and Barcelona, Spain.

As the jet rolled out onto the taxiway, passengers heard a loud crash, it was reported.  A piece of ground equipment struck the A310 aircraft’s engine while it was in the airport’s gate area.

The plane returned to the gate and everyone got off.  Although nobody was hurt, the jet wasn’t able to continue the flight.

The flight was scheduled to take off  for the Azores at 9:15 p.m. with a stop in Ponta Delgada. Due to the late hour and lack of hotels, passengers had to stay in the terminal overnight on Massport provided cots.

According to spokesman for the carrier, António Portugal, Azores Airlines provided blankets and food while many stranded passengers decided to returned home.

The spokesman said it was not known when the aircraft will resume operations, but that “all passengers are entitled to take on other flights, either to Ponta Delgada or to Barcelona.”

António Portugal added that both Azores Airlines and the US airport authorities are investigating the circumstances in which the incident occurred.

Azores Airlines has launched a twice-weekly (Wednesdays and Saturdays) operation between Boston Logan Airport and Barcelona, Spain.

Azores Airlines also offers connections from the United States to the Azores and mainland Portugal from Logan International Airport (Boston, MA), Oakland International Airport (Oakland, CA) and T.F. Green Airport (Providence, RI). In Canada, the carrier offers connections to the Azores and mainland Portugal from Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (Montreal), and Toronto Pearson International Airport (Toronto).

paj.staff