MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

LATAM and Aerolíneas Argentinas aircraft collide on the ground at Santiago airport with no injuries reported

Chile's Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) reported that both aircraft were immediately stopped and subjected to technical assessment in line with operational safety protocols

Two commercial aircraft collided on the ground at Santiago's Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport on Wednesday evening in an incident that left no injuries but forced the rescheduling of both affected flights. The collision occurred at around 8:00 p.m. local time, when a LATAM Airlines Airbus A321 struck a stationary Aerolíneas Argentinas Boeing 737 that was holding on the apron awaiting clearance for take-off.

Chile's Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) reported that both aircraft were immediately stopped and subjected to technical assessment in line with operational safety protocols. Passengers were disembarked and rebooked onto subsequent flights, and the agency announced the opening of a formal investigation to determine the causes of the incident.

CHOCARON UN AVIÓN DE AEROLÍNEAS ARGENTINAS Y OTRO DE LATAM: un avión de LATAM impactó desde atrás a una aeronave de Aerolíneas Argentinas que se encontraba detenida en pista en el Aeropuerto de Santiago de Chile. pic.twitter.com/pSimsntMsg

— Real Time (@RealTimeRating) April 23, 2026

Aerolíneas Argentinas confirmed that the aircraft involved was operating flight AR1267 to Buenos Aires-Aeroparque. “The Aerolíneas Argentinas Boeing 737, which was stationary and waiting to take off, was struck from behind by a LATAM aircraft moving to another position,” the company said in a statement. The impact caused damage to the horizontal stabiliser of the Boeing 737, taking the aircraft out of service. According to initial technical assessments, the damage is minor.

The Argentine carrier said most passengers boarded the Sky 5008 flight to Aeroparque in the early hours, departing at 12:40 a.m., while the remaining passengers were rebooked onto flight AR1281. The LATAM aircraft, bound for Brazil, was rescheduled for 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, according to the DGAC.

A passenger on the LATAM flight, identified as Carlos Alberto and travelling to São Paulo, told radio ADN that the collision occurred moments before take-off. “The plane hit another aircraft. The flight has been cancelled and we are returning,” he said. The passenger noted that the incident, although classified as minor, could have had more serious consequences had it occurred at a higher-speed phase of the taxi.

Aerolíneas Argentinas reaffirmed its “maximum commitment to operational safety” and said it has initiated compensation claims for the damage sustained by its aircraft. The incident adds to a series of ground-safety episodes recorded at Latin American airports in recent years, which fall under the jurisdiction of national aviation authorities operating under International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) protocols.