ITA Airways investigates ground collision at New York's JFK airport

Italy's ITA Airways said on Thursday it had launched an investigation over a ground collision that took place 10 days ago, involving one of its aircraft, at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

In a statement, the state-controlled airline explained that on the night of Jan. 2, one of its planes, which had just landed from Rome, hit the tail of another aircraft with the tip of its right wing.

Nobody was injured, an ITA spokesperson confirmed.

Italian daily la Repubblica reported that the other aircraft was a Delta DAL.N Bombardier.

ITA's public response to the incident

ITA, stating that it fully respects all safety standards and regulations, said "collisions during taxiing maneuvers are an increasing phenomenon ... especially in highly congested airports like JFK."

The airline said its plane was now back in Rome and it had launched an internal inquiry "to reconstruct the circumstances (of the accident)." It pledged to "promptly inform" and fully cooperate with aviation authorities.

ITA, created in 2021, is the successor airline to Alitalia. Last month the Italian government approved a decree setting the conditions for its sale, with Germany's Lufthansa LHAG.DE the frontrunner to take it over.