An Airbus A350-900 struck a fire truck during a water salute on landing at a European airport in an incident that caused material damage but no confirmed fatalities. The event occurred less than three days ago, and the technical investigation is still at an early stage.
The maneuver involved an airport emergency vehicle arching water over the runway to mark a symbolic arrival, a procedure that requires close coordination between air traffic control, the flight crew and airport rescue services. Initial reporting indicates localized structural damage to the aircraft, with the truck also damaged. Minor injuries have been mentioned but not confirmed.
The event comes as ground operations involving emergency vehicles are under renewed scrutiny after the fatal 23 March 2026 collision at New York LaGuardia between an Air Canada Express CRJ-900 and a fire truck. The A350 type has also been involved in high-profile ground incidents in Tokyo-Haneda in 2024 and a tail strike in Toronto the same year, keeping inspection and coordination procedures under close operational review.