A BLUE Islands aircraft which had just undergone an engine change was immediately sent back for repairs after a Swissport-operated ground-handling vehicle crashed into its landing gear.
A specialist team was needed to replace the gear, which was rendered ‘unserviceable’ as a result of the collision, the airline said.
A Blue Islands spokesperson explained that the incident occurred when the aircraft had to be towed to a stand to perform engine runs.
‘During this process a Swissport-operated tug collided with the nose landing gear – rendering it unserviceable.
‘This required replacement nose landing gear to be sourced and a specialist installation team to attend to the aircraft in Jersey,’ the spokesperson continued.
The work was completed on 29 August and the aircraft is now back in service.
‘Blue Islands has a dedicated spare aircraft which ensured continued resilience in operating our planned schedule during this period,’ the spokesperson added.
The JEP contacted Swissport for comment.
