Cayman Airways has confirmed that one of its Boeing 737 Max 8 planes sustained “minor damage to a wingtip” upon arrival of flight KX104 at Miami International Airport on Wednesday afternoon.
The national flag carrier, in a brief statement to the Cayman Compass, said it is currently investigating the matter in coordination with its ground-handling company in Miami.
It said the incident occurred when the aircraft “made contact with a nearby ground vehicle as it was being guided into its gate by ground crew, including wing walkers”.
The flight, it said, had just arrived in Miami after an earlier diversion to Palm Beach International Airport for refuelling due to weather conditions in the area.
“While some operational disruptions are expected as a result, the airline anticipates that repairs will be completed in time for the aircraft to return to service by [Thursday],” it told the Compass in a written statement.
This is the latest flight woe to impact the airline in recent days. On Saturday, one of the airline’s jets was temporarily taken out of service after being involved in two emergency landings in three days.
Passengers, the airline confirmed, were alerted to a potential issue with the flaps, which create drag to help slow down the aircraft on landing, and were told to assume the brace position as the plane prepared to touch down at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Saturday night.
The same aircraft was involved in a similar incident on Thursday, as it landed in Grand Cayman from Los Angeles.
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