A WestJet Boeing 737 MAX 8 struck a parked catering truck with its winglet while being towed to an overnight parking pad at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). No passengers or crew were on board and no injuries were reported, while the extent of the aircraft's damage has not been officially confirmed. Canada's Transportation Safety Board said the collision occurred at about 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday evening, airport emergency response units were activated shortly thereafter, and it was gathering information but did not plan to deploy investigators.
The aircraft, registered C-FRYV, had arrived at Toronto about two hours earlier operating as WS2221 from Puerto Vallarta. WestJet confirmed to Simple Flying that the aircraft was being towed, not taxiing under its own power after landing, contrary to initial claims accompanying footage circulating on social media. The report notes that such ground-handling collisions are not rare and have led in recent years to expensive repairs, canceled flights and prolonged groundings for numerous airlines.
Citing the International Air Transport Association's 2025 Annual Safety Report, the report says ground damage costs the industry more than $4.5 billion a year and could reach $9.7 billion within 15 years without further preventive measures. For WestJet, the eventual repair bill for its MAX 8 and the time out of service remain unknown.