Manchester Airport chaos as two planes clip wings and ground flights

Passengers on board one of the jets said the crash "took the wing off" their plane as both aircraft attempted to taxi to the runway just after 6.30am this morning.

According to MailOnline, one of the planes was bound for Gibraltar while the other was due to take off for Paris.

Flights were halted following the incident, and holidaymakers at the UK's third-busiest airport were warned to expect delays for the rest of the day.

Departures and arrivals resumed later in the morning after safety checks were completed on both aircraft.

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Tweeting from one of the damaged planes, passenger Phil Aspin wrote: "We've crashed on the runway."

An investigation is under way into how the planed collided - and why they were in such close proximity.

An easyJet spokesman said: "EasyJet can confirm that two aircraft came into contact whilst taxiing to the runway at Manchester Airport.

"The aircraft returned to stand to disembark customers who have been provided with refreshment vouchers whilst replacement aircraft are arranged to operate the flights.

"We apologise to customers for the delay to their flights. The safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority."