Ryanair Boeing 737 MAX Clips Fuel Tanker at Edinburgh Airport

A ground incident involving one of Ryanair’s Boeing 737 MAX aircraft occurred early Monday morning at Edinburgh airport in Scotland. The aircraft, which was preparing for departure to Portugal, contacted a fuel tanker while taxing toward the runway, prompting a deboarding and delay for the passengers involved.

According to reports, the aircraft was traveling at a low speed which mitigated the potential impact of the accident. The incident occurred around 10 am local time and was met with a response from multiple local fire and rescue units.

“This flight from Edinburgh to Faro was preparing for departure when the wing tip came in contact with the cab of a fuel truck,” a Ryanair spokesperson said in a statement. “Passengers disembarked normally and a replacement aircraft was arranged to operate this flight.”

Passengers on board the aircraft were returned to the terminal and provided with delay vouchers while awaiting a spare aircraft. The flight eventually departed for Portugal approximately two hours behind schedule.

“It was scary – the pilot came on the intercom and tried to pretend it wasn’t as serious as it looked. They can’t use the plane anymore,” a passenger said to the Scottish Sun. “It was just starting to move and was driving to the runway when it crashed into the fuel tank. Thankfully, we weren’t going at a fast speed.”

While Ryanair officials confirmed the incident did take place, they disputed notions that the collision caused any breakout of a fire.