The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority announced over a dozen people were sent to the hospital with non-threatening injuries after a vehicle transporting passengers at a Washington-area airport collided with a dock.
The mobile lounge, which transports passengers between the terminal and aircraft, hit the dock at Washington Dulles International Airport on Monday afternoon.
Eighteen passengers were taken to the hospital following the incident, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
“Around 4:30 p.m. on Monday, a mobile lounge transporting passengers to Concourse D at Dulles International Airport struck the dock at an angle as it was pulling up to the building. Passengers deboarded the mobile lounge via stairs. They were evaluated by Airport Authority Fire & Rescue personnel for possible injuries,” the authority told the Washington Examiner in a statement.
“The airport is open and operating as normal,” the statement continued.
There were roughly 50 people on board the people-mover at the time, according to dispatch audio from Broadcastify.
Air travel has been nationally scrutinized over the past five weeks due to the government shutdown, which has had sweeping effects on flights.
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently said the Federal Aviation Administration is short 1,000 to 2,000 air traffic controllers, and many more of them are retiring each day than before the shutdown.
President Donald Trump said this week that he would recommend controllers who stayed on the job during the shutdown receive a $10,000 bonus, as the Senate takes another vote on Monday evening to reopen the government.
