A ground worker was killed Monday at YUL Montréal-Trudeau International Airport in Quebec after being struck by a passenger jet during ground operations, airport officials confirmed.
The aircraft involved was an Airbus A350 operated by French Bee, a low-cost airline, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. The incident occurred during the pushback operation ahead of the departure of Flight BF5761 to Paris-Orly. The exact circumstances, French Bee said, "remain to be established."
The employee worked for Samsic, a ground-handling company that operates at the airport. Airport officials did not identify the worker by name. French Bee said it was fully cooperating with Canadian authorities and providing assistance to support the investigation.
In a statement, the airline said, "The airline extends its deepest condolences to the individual's family and loved ones as well as its support to colleagues and all teams affected by this event."
Yves Beauchamp, president and chief executive officer of Aéroports de Montréal, issued a statement expressing grief over the loss. "The loss of a member of our airport community affects us all deeply," Beauchamp said. "During this difficult time, our thoughts are with the employee's family, loved ones and colleagues, to whom we extend our heartfelt sympathy and sincere condolences."
Aéroports de Montréal said it worked with partners to provide support to employees and passengers who witnessed the incident. The Quebec coroner's office was notified of the death and is also investigating, CityNews reported. ADM said it would not provide further comment out of respect for the victim and declined to direct media questions anywhere other than the authorities leading the investigation.
The fatal incident in Montreal follows two other deadly incidents at major North American airports earlier this year. A Delta Air Lines employee was killed after an airport tug vehicle crashed into a jet bridge at Orlando International Airport. Around the same time, a Frontier Airlines jet struck and killed a person walking on a runway at Denver International Airport.
