On February 20, a TUI Airways plane was severely damaged after a set of mobile air stairs nearly ripped off its front left door. The incident involved a nine-year-old Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner registered G-TUIF at Birmingham Airport (BHX) near Birmingham, England.

The Incident

While the airplane was parked at the airport's gates, a set of mobile air stairs came in contact with the plane during ground operations as steps were retracted. Reports indicate the collision was forceful, resulting in the front left door almost getting ripped off all its hinges. While the full extent of the damage is yet to be determined, online images show the door only being held on by a few connections. No passengers were onboard as the collision happened. 

TUI has yet to release any official statements regarding the incident. However, the UK Air Accident's Investigation Branch has launched investigations to determine the cause of the collision and how to prevent future incidents from happening.

Other Incidents

A recent incident involved an American Airlines Boeing 787-8, with registration N812AA, at Dublin Airport (DUB) in July 2023. As the flight was prepared to go to Philadelphia, the jet bridge experienced a hydraulic failure, causing it to lower too quickly and rip the second left door off. Luckily, nobody was on the jet bridge or in the aircraft then. 

Another such incident occurred at São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) in February 2021. A Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes Boeing 737-800, with registration PR-GGD, was at GRU in rainy and windy conditions. The airstairs collided with the aircraft's rear left door for the auxiliary power unit since the ground crew forgot to secure the airstairs. However, the airframe was not damaged, making it easier to replace the damaged part. The plane flew again the next day. 

While information is limited, the recent TUI UK incident underscores the importance of following airport safety protocols in the air and on the ground. Continuous efforts are required to improve operations to protect passengers and aircraft from damage.