On February 6, 2024, a fatal accident occurred at Hong Kong Airport. A ramp worker was struck and killed by an aircraft that was being towed by a special vehicle.

According to local media, the incident occurred at around 3:00 a.m. local time. In a statement, the airport operator wrote that a worker was found lying on the apron. At first it was not assumed that the man was no longer alive. He worked for China Aircraft Services.

The airport rescue team, which was called immediately, was no longer able to help the worker. A doctor had to declare death on the apron. Exactly how the accident occurred still needs to be determined by the responsible authorities. It is currently assumed that he was sitting in the passenger seat of a tow vehicle and fell out. He was then run over by the plane that was being towed.

“AAHK regrets the death of the airport employee and extends its condolences to his family. AAHK has contacted the affected ground service company to provide support to the family of the deceased,” Hong Kong Airport said in a statement.

The airport administration suspects that the worker may have neglected to wear a seat belt. According to Hong Kong Airport, this is mandatory. In practice, however, this often seems to be ignored, as the frequent putting on and taking off of the clothes could be annoying for employees.

In any case, the police department of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region took over the investigation and announced that the incident was not classified as an aviation accident, but as a traffic accident. The fatal accident already had consequences for the driver of the towing vehicle: he was temporarily arrested by the police because he was accused of having driven the vehicle in such a way that the fatal accident would not have happened and of also having to comply with the seat belt requirement must exist.