Air France Sues JFK Operator Over Passenger Plane Smash

A French airline is suing the authorities who run JFK Airport in New York, accusing the agency of being responsible for an on-the-ground plane crash between two jets.

The lawsuit filed on Saturday concerns a collision alleged to have occurred a year ago at the international airport in Queens. Now, Air France is seeking unspecified damages from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

"On or about June 17, 2022, at approximately 22:20 local time, an Airbus 330- 200 aircraft operated by Italia Transporto Aereo S.P.A. ("ITA") as Flight 611 struck Boeing 777 aircraft operated by Air France as Flight 008 near Gate 9 at Terminal 1 at John F. Kennedy International Airport," the lawsuit states. The case does not make mention of any injuries to passengers or crew.

Millions of Americans, and travelers from around the world, fly into or out of JFK Airport each year, with an article by the number-crunching website Statista revealing that almost 29 million passengers traveled through the airport in 2021.

The incident is not the first time the airport has been in the headlines for an alleged safety breach. Back in January, viral footage showed a near-miss at the airport between two aircraft as increasingly frantic audio captured air traffic controllers trying to avert a collision. A nightmare weekend for the airport back in January 2018 saw a China Southern plane clip the tail of a Kuwait Airways flight, causing damage to both of the Boeing 777 jets, although no one was injured.

Legal documents, seen by Newsweekon Monday, show that Air France alleging the Port Authority bears sole responsibility for the collision between the two planes.

Newsweek has reached out by email to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Air France, for further information and comment.

Describing the incident in the lawsuit, Air France states its jet was stationary "as instructed by ground control" in Terminal 1 to await towing to Gate 9 when the ITA flight "contacted the elevator of Air France Flight 008 while attempting to taxi out of Terminal 1, which caused damage to the Air France aircraft."

The Italian flight departed the airport afterward, according to Air France, who said its own flight crew reported the incident to the Port Authority immediately.

The lawsuit goes on to allege: "The Port Authority breached its duty by, inter alia, failing to construct, maintain, and control the taxiways and ramps at Terminal 1 at JFK International Airport on the date of the Incident. [...] The Port Authority further breached its duty by allowing ITA to operate aircraft at JFK International Airport and failing to ensure ITA's safe operation of aircraft at JFK International Airport, including but not limited to on the date of the Incident [...]

"As a direct and proximate cause of Port Authority's breach of its duty of care, Air France suffered damage to its aircraft, loss of use of its aircraft, flight, and passenger delay payments, and other, as of yet unspecified, damages."

The document concludes with a request for the court to enter a judgment in favor of Air France for yet-to-be-determined damages "with interest and costs," as well as "further relief as may be just and proper in the circumstances."