Probe launched as Saudia plane hits PAL aircraft

Philippine Airlines (PAL) planes are parked at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Parañaque City on Sunday, March 1, 2026.  —Inquirer file photo/Grig C. Montegrande

MANILA, Philippines — The New Naia Infra Corp. (NNIC) said a full investigation has been launched into the ground collision at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) late Monday, when a taxiing Saudia aircraft struck a parked Philippine Airlines (PAL) plane.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Naia operator said that Saudia Flight SV871 was taxiing for departure at 11:38 p.m. when its left wingtip struck the tail section of a parked PAL Airbus A320 at low speed.

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No injuries were reported and all passengers aboard the Saudia flight safely disembarked after the collision. However, the Jeddah-bound flight was canceled and the aircraft was towed to a designated bay for inspection.

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Both aircraft sustained damage and are undergoing technical assessment.

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Footage from the scene showed a section of the PAL aircraft’s rudder—the part at the tail-end of the aircraft used to control the position of the jet’s nose—was torn off by the impact.

PAL said its aircraft “has been withdrawn from service pending a technical assessment.”

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Caap notified

According to NNIC, no airport infrastructure or ground equipment was damaged. It said that after the incident, its ground operations and safety teams immediately secured the area and repositioned both aircraft.

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The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) was also notified in accordance with established protocols.

The NNIC said the investigation would review airside communications, aircraft movement records and other operational data to determine the circumstances surrounding the collision.

It added that it is coordinating with airlines concerned and aviation authorities as the investigation proceeds.

Despite the collision, NNIC said airport operations were not significantly affected and continue as normal.

The NNIC is the San Miguel-led consortium that took over Naia operations in 2024 after the Department of Transportation, the Manila International Airport Authority and the consortium signed a P170.6-billion concession agreement.

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Since then, the operator has rolled out a series of improvements at Naia, which handled a record 52.02 million passengers in 2025. /cb