Ouch: Botched Water Cannon Salute Costs Iberia An Airbus A350 Winglet & A Canceled Flight

Simple Flying

What was meant to be a celebratory moment for Iberia ended with aircraft damage and a canceled flight on June 4, 2026. An IberiaAirbus A350-900 that arrived in Guayaquil, Ecuador, suffered damage to its left winglet during a traditional water cannon salute conducted by airport fire vehicles to celebrate the inaugural flight. The incident occurred at José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport (GYE) and ultimately forced the cancellation of the aircraft’s scheduled return flight to Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD).

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