A serious ground incident occurred on Tuesday, July 7, at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) in Manila when a Saudia Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner struck the tail of a parked Philippine Airlines Airbus A320 while taxiing for departure.
The Saudia aircraft, operating Flight SV871 to Jeddah, reportedly clipped the lower section of the Airbus A320’s vertical stabilizer with its left wing. The Philippine Airlines jet was parked at the time of the collision and had no passengers or crew on board.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported among passengers or crew on the Saudia aircraft, and no one was on the PAL aircraft during the incident.
Photos from the scene show visible structural damage to both aircraft. The Boeing 787 and the Airbus A320 have both been grounded for inspections and repairs, while Saudia canceled Flight SV871 following the collision.
The aircraft’s vertical stabilizer is one of the most critical structural components, providing directional stability and housing the rudder, which is essential for maintaining control during flight. Even relatively minor damage to this area requires detailed engineering inspections before an aircraft can safely return to service.
Airport and aviation authorities have launched an investigation to determine how the taxiway collision occurred. Saudia is reportedly working closely with the relevant authorities as investigators examine the circumstances that led to the incident.
