The runway at New York's LaGuardia Airport, where a plane collided with a fire truck, killing two pilots and injuring several others, reopened on Thursday morning. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced that the tarmac resumed operations around 10 a.m. after repairs and inspections confirmed it met Federal Aviation Administration safety regulations.
Reopening the second of LaGuardia's two runways is expected to restore full operational capacity at one of the nation's busiest airports. However, travellers are advised to check with their airlines as LaGuardia continues to experience the highest number of delays and cancellations nationwide, with over 300 flights cancelled in the past 24 hours, according to FlightAware.
The destroyed Air Canada plane and the fire truck were towed from the crash site late on Wednesday as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues its investigation. The NTSB said the truck has been placed in a secure, undisclosed location, and deferred questions about the plane's status to Air Canada. The airline has stated the plane will be placed in a hangar and efforts to reunite passengers with their belongings will begin soon.
The collision occurred late on Sunday night when an Air Canada regional jet, carrying 76 people and arriving from Montreal, struck an airport fire truck. The truck had been cleared to cross the runway to respond to a separate incident on another aircraft. Roughly 40 people received hospital treatment for injuries, including two firefighters and a flight attendant who survived after being thrown onto the tarmac while still strapped in her seat. Most have since been released.
Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau also apologised on Thursday for his inability to express himself in French, following calls for his resignation over an English-only message of condolence.
