Fuel Truck Collision Grounds Emirates Airbus A380 at Manchester Airport
An Emirates Airbus A380 was involved in a significant incident at Manchester Airport on November 28, 2025. The aircraft was struck by a fuel truck while parked, resulting in damage to its engine cowling.
Incident Overview
The collision occurred on the apron as the aircraft, registered as A6-EVP, was preparing for its return flight to Dubai International Airport (DXB). Scheduled to depart at 1:15 PM local time, the flight was postponed due to the accident. The A380 had just completed flight EK17, a seven-hour journey from DXB.
Damage and Repairs
Photos circulating on social media revealed a hole in the lip section of the damaged engine cowling. The aircraft was grounded at Manchester Airport for over two days as Emirates worked on the necessary repairs. The airline successfully returned the aircraft to operational status shortly after the incident.
Repairing an Airbus A380 can be costly due to the scarcity of spare parts. Many A380s have been scrapped, compounding the challenges for airlines that continue to operate these aircraft. This particular A380 is relatively young, having been delivered to Emirates in May 2021.
Flight Cancellation and Passenger Impact
The collision led to the cancellation of the return flight to Dubai. Emirates promptly reaccommodated passengers on alternative flights. While the responsibility for the incident appears to lie with the fuel truck operator, Emirates is likely to classify this occurrence as an extraordinary circumstance. Therefore, they may not be obligated to compensate affected passengers.
Flight cancellations can significantly impact airlines. Eurocontrol estimates that a single cancellation of a widebody aircraft can cost up to $150,000.
Aircraft Specifications
The involved Airbus A380, A6-EVP, is equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines. It can carry up to 484 passengers across multiple cabin classes. Over its five years with Emirates, it has flown for more than 20,000 hours and completed around 2,200 flight cycles.
Summary
Despite the challenges posed by the incident, Emirates successfully repaired the aircraft, which eventually took off from Manchester, resuming its schedule to Dubai on November 30, 2025. The flight departed at 9:24 PM local time and arrived successfully in Dubai at 8:05 AM+1.
