Near Runway Collision Between AeroMéxico and Delta Flights at Mexico City Airport

On Monday, at Mexico City's Benito Juárez International Airport, AeroMéxico Connect Flight 1631, an Embraer 190 regional jet, nearly collided with Delta Air Lines Flight 590, a Boeing 737, during a landing and takeoff incident on runway 5R. Delta Flight 590, bound for Atlanta and carrying 144 customers and six crew members, was rolling down the runway at approximately 60 miles per hour when the pilots observed AeroMéxico's plane landing directly in front of them less than 200 feet above the moving Delta aircraft. The Delta pilots immediately aborted takeoff and returned to the terminal after stopping. The Delta flight eventually took off about three hours late. FlightRadar24 data confirms the close proximity of the two aircraft during the event. Delta reported the incident to Mexican aviation authorities, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the National Transportation Safety Board in the US, pledging full cooperation during the investigation. AeroMéxico is also cooperating with authorities conducting a detailed investigation. Both airlines emphasized passenger and crew safety as their highest priority. Air traffic control recordings captured a Delta pilot saying, "We are holding on the runway," followed by remarks of surprise in Spanish. Aviation experts noted that Mexico City has parallel runways, suggesting possible miscommunication or misunderstanding from the control tower regarding simultaneous clearances for landing and takeoff on the same runway.