Ground service Fiat Panda collides with taxiing private jet at Milan Linate Airport

Collision on the apron

On the morning of 10 August 2026, around 11:20 local time, a white Fiat Panda belonging to Linate Airport's ground handling company collided with a private Hawker Beechcraft 400A jet (registration I-AERB) in the general aviation area of Milan Linate Airport. The jet was taxiing toward the runway as authorised by the control tower when the service vehicle emerged from its left and continued straight into the aircraft's nose without any apparent braking. According to ANSA, the plane's nose nearly entered the right window of the car. The impact occurred on the western apron used for manoeuvring and taxiing before departure.

No injuries, driver treated for shock

No injuries were reported among the crew or passengers of the aircraft, nor among ground staff involved. The driver of the Panda, a 54-year-old female ground handling operator, was assisted by 118 medical teams in a state of severe agitation. Firefighters and emergency services were dispatched immediately but did not need to carry out significant interventions. Preliminary assessments suggested the driver could not have failed to notice the approaching aircraft, leading investigators to suspect a possible medical episode or distraction from mobile phone use, though the dynamics remain under investigation.

Flights diverted and operations halted

The collision prompted a temporary suspension of airport operations to allow inspections and incident reconstruction. Two arriving flights were diverted to nearby airports: an ITA Airways Airbus A220 was sent to Bergamo Orio al Serio, and a KLM A321neo was diverted to Milan Malpensa. According to the Associazione Aeroporti Lombardi, traffic remained blocked for approximately 40 minutes. Normal operations resumed about half an hour to 40 minutes after the incident.

Union raises safety concerns

The incident drew attention from the Fast Confsal union, which told Corriere della Sera that it was not an isolated case. The union cited a similar incident between a ground vehicle and an aircraft that occurred in Naples days earlier. Fast Confsal stated that apron management has become increasingly complex and risky, especially during periods of high summer traffic.

“The dynamics of the two incidents are still being investigated, but what happened confirms a situation we have been reporting for some time: the management of the aprons has become increasingly complex and risky, especially in the presence of high traffic such as in the summer period.”

The union also pointed to a significant increase in ground vehicle movements on airport aprons in recent months, with increasingly tight operational rhythms and often inadequate staffing. Fast Confsal further noted that procedures and operational safeguards have not been revised to match current traffic and passenger volumes. Extreme summer heat was cited as an additional factor, with many operators working in vehicles lacking functioning air conditioning or experiencing fume infiltration, affecting their alertness and physical endurance on scorching asphalt.