Aerobridge collides with Qantas plane after landing at Brisbane Airport

A Qantas plane has been damaged after it was struck by an airbridge after landing at Brisbane Airport.

Qantas flight QF186 was struck by an aerobridge at Brisbane Airport on Wednesday, June 18. Photo: CommunityPete

A Qantas plane has been damaged after it was struck by an airbridge after landing at Brisbane Airport on Wednesday.

The Qantas Boeing 737-800 aircraft – operating as flight QF186 – touched down at Brisbane Airport from Queenstown, New Zealand at 6.20pm.

After taxiing to the international airport terminal, the aircraft was impacted by the aerobridge, causing damage to the aircraft.

Qantas flight QF186 was struck by an aerobridge at Brisbane Airport. Photo: CommunityPete

In a statement, a Qantas spokesman advised that they were investigating the incident.

“We’re investigating how an aerobridge made contact with the front of one of our aircraft at Brisbane Airport,” the spokesman said.

“The aircraft will be inspected by engineers in Brisbane and repaired before returning to service.”

It is understood that no one was injured and passengers disembarked via stairs.

Passengers disembarked the aircraft via the stairs following the incident. Photo: CommunityPete

Photos of the incident were shared on social media.

“That surely won’t buff out in a hurry. Qantas flight QF186 landed at Brisbane Airport this evening from Queensland, New Zealand, while the aerobridge made contact with the plane,” CommunityPete posted to Facebook.

It is the second airbridge strike incident within a month at Brisbane Airport, with Air New Zealand Flight NZ146 making contact with an airbridge as it was pushed back from a gate on Thursday, May 22.

The aircraft sustained a 7cm wide puncture in the fuselage as a result of the collision.

That incident resulted in the cancellation of a flight and the aircraft undergoing a maintenance inspection by the airline’s engineering staff.

Notably, the aircraft flew back to New Zealand for repairs at 10,000ft or just over 3km – about a third of its usual flying altitude, with a depressurised cabin and no passengers on board.

At the time of its flight on Sunday, May 25, it was the most tracked flight in the world on Flightradar24.

Originally published as Aerobridge collides with Qantas plane after landing at Brisbane Airport