A serious aviation scare unfolded on Monday at Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport when two commercial planes came dangerously close to a collision on Runway 5R.
Delta Air Lines Flight 590, a Boeing 737 carrying 144 passengers and six crew members, was accelerating for takeoff en route to Atlanta when an AeroMéxico Connect Embraer 190 descended to land on the same runway. The regional jet, Flight 1631, reportedly flew less than 200 feet above the Delta aircraft before touching down.
In a swift response, Delta’s pilots aborted the takeoff and safely returned to the terminal. The flight later departed after a delay of approximately three hours.
Delta Airlines praised the quick thinking and vigilance of its flight crew, saying in a statement, “We appreciate the flight crew’s actions to maintain situational awareness and act quickly part of Delta’s extensive training.” The incident has since been reported to both Mexican aviation authorities and U.S. agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
As of now, neither AeroMéxico nor Mexico’s civil aviation authority has released an official statement regarding the close call.
This incident comes less than two years after Mexico’s aviation safety rating was downgraded by the FAA in May 2021 for failing to meet international standards. The country regained its top-tier “Category One” status in September 2023, following extensive safety reforms and assistance from the FAA.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
