October 7, 2026 — A Delta Air Lines Airbus A350 bound for Tokyo clipped the tail of an Air Canada Boeing 777 on a taxiway at Los Angeles on Tuesday, taking both widebodies out of service. The same day, a technology problem slowed Delta’s boarding at several airports.
What happened
Taxiway collision at LAX
At about 10:30 a.m. Pacific time on Tuesday, October 6, Delta Flight 7 from Los Angeles to Tokyo Haneda was taxiing for departure when its left wingtip struck the horizontal stabilizer of Air Canada Flight 785, which had arrived from Toronto and was being towed to its gate. The FAA said the wingtip “clipped the horizontal stabilizer” of the Air Canada jet and that it is investigating.
| Delta | Air Canada | |
|---|---|---|
| Flight | DL7, Los Angeles–Tokyo Haneda | AC785, Toronto–Los Angeles |
| Aircraft | Airbus A350-900, N512DN | Boeing 777-200LR, C-FIVK |
| On board | 275 passengers, 15 crew | Not confirmed |
| Damage | Winglet torn off | Stabilizer struck; winglet lodged in it |
| Return to service | TBA | TBA |
Nobody was hurt. Air Canada cancelled the return flight, AC786 to Toronto, and said its aircraft would be inspected and repaired. The airport said the contact happened on a taxiway, not a runway, and that operations were normal. No cause has been established.
Technology glitch
Also on October 6, Delta said a “limited global technology issue” had affected data connectivity to some of its back-end systems. In a statement timed at 1:15 p.m., the airline said systems were stabilizing and pointed customers to the Fly Delta app and delta.com. Trade reports described boarding difficulties, most visibly in Atlanta. United reported a separate vendor connectivity problem that affected its website, app and MileagePlus logins, and said it was resolved with no effect on flights. Neither airline has published delay or cancellation counts, and no vendor has been named.
Miami ground staff dismissed
Separately, Paddle Your Own Kanoo and InsideFlyer report that Delta dismissed 15 ground employees in Miami after an internal investigation into gate procedures on Havana flights, including baggage payments and ticket sales. One long-serving employee has sued, alleging discrimination and retaliation. Delta has not commented publicly on the reasons, and the dates of the dismissals are not published (TBA).
What it means for travelers
- Los Angeles–Tokyo Haneda on Delta: one A350 is out for an unknown period. Watch for aircraft swaps or a tighter seat map on DL7 and its return in the coming days.
- Air Canada Toronto–Los Angeles: the cancelled AC786 pushed a 777 load of passengers onto later flights, so this route will be tight for a day or two.
- After an IT hiccup, keep the app handy. Knock-on delays can run into the next day.
- Delta reports third-quarter results on Friday, October 9, at 10 a.m. ET. Listen for capacity plans for the winter.
Sources
- FAA — FAA Statements on Aviation Accidents and Incidents
- Live and Let’s Fly — Ouch: Delta A350 Clips Air Canada 777’s Tail At LAX While Taxiing For Tokyo
- ABC7 Chicago — Delta, Air Canada passenger planes collide on LAX tarmac, officials say
- NBC Los Angeles — FAA investigating after Delta plane clips Air Canada aircraft at LAX
- Aerospace Global News — Delta Air Lines Airbus A350 clips Air Canada Boeing 777 during taxi at LAX
- Delta News Hub — Update on global technology issue
- CNN Newsource via KION — Major US airlines recovering after technology issues caused problems
- TSI Magazine — Delta, United Hit by Technology Outages; No Evidence Yet of Cyberattack
- InsideFlyer — Delta fires 15 Miami ground staff after Cuba flight probe
- Paddle Your Own Kanoo — Delta Air Fired 15 Ground Workers at Miami Airport After Investigation into Potential Fraud On Cuba Flights
- Finviz — Delta Air Lines Announces Webcast of September Quarter 2026 Financial Results
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