Air China Boeing 747 grounded in New York following gate refuelling incident

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Video taken at JFK airport shows a reported fuel leak from a Boeing 747-8 operated by Air China on August 31. Witnesses say the fuel truck moved away while two hoses were still connected to the plane. Photo: Weibo

Meredith ChenPublished: 4:15pm, 2 Sep 2026Updated: 4:17pm, 2 Sep 2026A Boeing 747-8 operated by Air China reportedly suffered a fuel leak at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport early on Monday, leading to the flight being cancelled.

No injuries were reported in or around the aircraft, which was expected to operate flight CA982 from New York to Beijing that day. The leak is said to have occurred between 1am and 2am while the plane was parked at the gate, according to posts on Chinese social media.

Photos shared online appear to show airport personnel inspecting the aircraft’s fuel ports and refuelling equipment. Photo: Weibo

It was being refuelled when the fuel truck moved away with two hosepipes still connected to the plane, damaging the fuel ports and spilling fuel onto the tarmac, according to a post on Shanghai Observer, a social media outlet of the Jiefang Daily, and a video circulating on other social media platforms.

The SCMP has not independently verified the video.

Photos shared online appeared to show airport personnel inspecting the aircraft’s fuel ports and refuelling equipment, as well as cleaning up what appears to be fuel on the ground.

Several passengers who said they were booked on the flight posted a cancellation notice they said came from Air China. It attributed the cancellation to “fuel guarantee”, apparently referring to arrangements to refuel the aircraft.