Caribbean Airlines aircraft forces JetBlue to abort takeoff at JFK

New York, USA — A Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737-800, arriving from Georgetown, Guyana, on Saturday night, reportedly failed to stop short of a runway at New York’s JFK International Airport as instructed and caused a JetBlue Airbus A320-200 to abort its takeoff at high speed.

According to the Aviation Herald, Caribbean Airlines flight BW-526 had landed on JFK’s runway 22L, vacated the runway via a taxiway and was instructed and had acknowledged to hold short of runway 22R.

In the meantime, the control tower had cleared a JetBlue Airbus A320-200 for takeoff from runway 22R, and the aircraft was accelerating for takeoff.

While the Caribbean Airlines aircraft taxied along the taxiway without slowing to stop at the hold short line, the tower called, “Five twenty six, stop!” twice, then “1295 abort takeoff!” The tower subsequently called Caribbean Airlines flight 526 multiple times without response.

The JetBlue aircraft aborted takeoff at high speed due to the runway incursion by the Caribbean Airlines Boeing.

The Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737-800 continued to taxi to the gate.

The FAA reported that Caribbean Airlines flight 526 was travelling along taxiway J when it taxied across the runway into the path of JetBlue flight 1295. Tower controllers immediately instructed the JetBlue aircraft to abort takeoff, the aircraft slowed safely, vacated the runway at taxiway G and returned to the gate.

JetBlue reported their pilots saw the crossing Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737-800 and rejected takeoff. The aircraft returned to the gate for a standard inspection.

Caribbean Airlines indicated it is concerned with the occurrence and is complying with the investigation.

“Caribbean Airlines takes allegations of this type very seriously, and is committed to working with the industry authorities to investigate all the facts. We are in the process of investigating and compiling the facts surrounding this allegation in cooperation with all regulatory agencies,” the airline said in a statement.

In the interim, Caribbean Airlines said it is complying with all incident management procedures included within its safety management system and adjunct regulations.

Caribbean Airlines operates 22 aircraft with over 600 weekly flights into the Caribbean, North and South America and the UK.