Dulles airport crash leaves 18 injured in people carrier

A minivan used to transport passengers to and from planes crashed at an airport near Washington DC, injuring at least 18 people, authorities said.

The vehicle, also known as a mobile lounge, struck a dock at Washington Dulles International Airport around 4:30 p.m. EST (9:30 p.m. GMT) Monday.

According to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), the vehicle struck a pier, also causing damage to the terminal. The injured passengers used the stairs to exit the carrier and were transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The use of mobile lounges at Dulles Airport dates back to 1959 and has long been criticized as outdated and insufficiently modern.

The lounge was carrying passengers from Concourse D and struck a platform at an angle as it approached the terminal, according to airport spokeswoman Crystal Nosal.

She added in a statement that the airport remains open and operating normally.

It is not known how many passengers were on board at the time of the accident.

Dulles, which is located in Virginia but is one of the main airports for people traveling to and from Washington, D.C., has a fleet of 19 mobile lounges, each capable of transporting 102 people.

Earlier this week, a former Trump official who was appointed to the MWAA board criticized the vehicles, telling senators during a confirmation hearing that “the people mover is a relic of the past.”

“It’s embarrassing that international travelers visiting the capital of the most powerful nation in the world are being taken back to the 1960s,” said Trent Morse.

According to NBC Washington, mobile lounges were involved in 16 accidents over a 10-year period between 2007 and 2017, including one fatal accident.

The latest incident occurred amid the ongoing government shutdown, which has led to flight delays and long lines at U.S. airports.

The Trump administration has ordered 40 airports, including Dulles, to reduce air traffic by 10% due to staffing shortages.