A China Airlines Airbus A350 aircraft was damaged following contact with an aerobridge at Melbourne Airport. Due to issues with the door and hinge system, the Taipei flight was cancelled.
Aerobridge Contact Damages Aircraft
A ground handling incident that occurred while parked at Melbourne Airport caused significant damage to an Airbus A350 passenger aircraft in the China Airlines fleet.
According to the information obtained, the Airbus A350-941 (B-18902, MSN 57) sustained substantial damage to the front left door area while in contact with the passenger boarding bridge (aerobridge). The incident occurred during passenger boarding or preparation procedures.
Structural Damage to Door and Hinge System
According to initial technical assessments, the incident caused structural damage not only to the aerobridge equipment but also to the aircraft’s front left passenger door. In particular, deformation in the door hinges stands out as a critical issue in terms of the aircraft’s operational safety.
Such damage cannot be resolved with superficial repairs and requires detailed engineering inspection and a comprehensive maintenance process. As door systems in wide-body aircraft are of vital importance in terms of pressurisation and emergency procedures, even the smallest deformation directly affects airworthiness.
Taipei Flight Cancelled
Due to the damage, the CI58 Taipei flight scheduled for April 14 was cancelled. It is estimated that passengers were redirected to alternative flights or taken into the rebooking process.
