UK travellers bound for Europe were delayed when a lorry collided with an aircraft, causing widespread disruption at a major French airport. The incident at Paris's Orly Airport saw an easyJet plane become the accidental 'victim' of a runaway vehicle on Monday. Images have emerged showing the lorry's shattered windscreen, reports the Mirror. At the time of the crash, the 15-year-old Airbus A320 was parked without any passengers amid a nocturnal hush.

EasyJet said: "easyJet can confirm that an airport vehicle struck an aircraft at Paris Orly airport while it was parked overnight and no passengers were onboard. The aircraft will undergo the required inspections and repairs in line with manufacturer instructions."

Emergency vehicles attended the scene as the airline launched an immediate enquiry into the incident. A source told The Sun: “It happened first thing and everyone is in shock. It’s baffling how this happened.”

The insider added how “there was no way the plane could take off”. The aircraft was reportedly due to complete six flights today, but it will now remain grounded for rigorous safety checks.

“Bosses were forced to rip up flight plans. It’s a major incident and will leave a bill in excess of £100,000,” the source said.

It is understood that investigators are looking into whether the ground services truck driver accidentally pressed the accelerator opposed to the break, The Sun reports.

A similar incident happened last week when a vehicle crashed into a railway bridge close to Gatwick Airport. Subsequently, travel chaos unfolded for dozens of Brits.

A National Rail spokesperson said in a statement on its website: "Network Rail will be sending engineers as quickly as possible to check the bridge for any damage, and if it's safe to do so, the route will be reopened.

"If you see a vehicle hitting a bridge, or you think a bridge has been damaged, please report it using the phone number on the identification plate fixed to the bridge. If no plate is provided, please report it to the police by calling 999."

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