American Airlines jet and Air Canada Express flight in JFK near-miss, forcing go-arounds

Quick summary

An American Airlines regional jet deviated from its assigned approach path at John F. Kennedy International Airport on April 20, 2026, forcing both it and an Air Canada Express flight to abort landings after anti-collision systems detected the aircraft were separated by just 350 feet vertically and 0.62 miles horizontally — roughly half the Federal Aviation Administration’s minimum separation standard. Both flights landed safely following go-arounds, and the FAA has launched an investigation into the runway incursion involving parallel approaches to Runways 31L and 31R.

The incident marks the fourth near-miss at a major US airport within 48 hours. A preliminary FAA report is expected by mid-May, with potential procedural changes that could add 15–30 minutes to JFK arrival times during afternoon peak hours.

American jet crosses into Air Canada’s approach path

Republic Airways Flight 4464, operating as American Airlines, was cleared to land on Runway 31L at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET when it deviated from its assigned course. The Embraer E175 drifted into the airspace of neighboring Runway 31R, where Air Canada Express Flight 554 — operated by Jazz Aviation — had been cleared to land simultaneously.

Air traffic control audio captured the moment controllers intervened: “Brickyard 44 you’re flying through the approach course on Runway 31 Left. Correct immediately. You have traffic in the immediate vicinity.”

Both aircraft’s Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS) triggered resolution advisories — automated alerts that command pilots to climb or descend to avoid collision. Anti-collision alarms sounded in both cockpits and the control tower as the jets maneuvered to separate.

The Air Canada crew was instructed to climb to 3,000 feet as the American jet executed a go-around, a standard safety procedure where pilots abort a landing attempt and reposition for another approach. Both flights landed without incident shortly after the close call.

The FAA confirmed in a statement that it is investigating the incident, noting that “the crew of Republic Airways Flight 4464 performed a go-around at John F. Kennedy International Airport after missing the intended approach path and flying too close to Jazz Aviation Flight 554.” An Air Canada spokesperson told media that “the flight crew received a traffic warning notification and resolution as well as direction from ATC — and the crew took immediate action.”

Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 shows both aircraft responded to TCAS resolution advisories before safely completing their approaches on subsequent attempts.

Part of 48-hour cluster of US near-misses

The JFK incident occurred within a 48-hour window that saw three other near-misses at major US airports, including a Southwest Airlines event in Nashville. The cluster has drawn attention from aviation safety advocates who note that runway incursions — when aircraft, vehicles, or pedestrians enter active runways without clearance — have increased 15% since 2024 according to FAA data.

JFK experienced a similar parallel runway deviation in January 2023, when a Delta flight on approach to Runway 22L came within 1,000 feet of a JetBlue A320. That investigation led to enhanced controller training protocols, and no further incidents occurred on those runways through 2025.

One month before this event, an Air Canada Express aircraft struck a fire truck during landing at LaGuardia Airport on March 20, 2026, killing one firefighter — an unrelated incident that nonetheless has kept JFK-area airport safety under heightened scrutiny.

The National Transportation Safety Board has been notified of the JFK near-miss and will determine whether to launch a full investigation beyond the FAA’s standard runway incursion review. A preliminary report is expected by May 15, 2026.

What to do if you have JFK bookings

The FAA investigation is ongoing, and no procedural changes have been announced that would affect current flight schedules or operations at JFK.

• Monitor your flight status: Use FlightAware or Flightradar24 to track go-around trends on Runways 31L and 31R, particularly for afternoon arrivals between 2–5 p.m. ET when traffic density peaks.
• Build connection buffers: If connecting through JFK from Toronto or other regional airports, add 30–45 minutes to your minimum connection time until the FAA releases its preliminary findings in mid-May.
• Check the FAA incident database: The agency publishes preliminary reports at faa.gov/data_research/accident_incident — watch for updates by May 1 that could signal procedural changes affecting arrival times.
• Know your rights: US passengers are entitled to refunds for delays exceeding three hours or cancellations under DOT rules. Canadian passengers on Air Canada flights departing Canada qualify for CAD $400–1,000 compensation for delays over three hours under Air Passenger Protection Regulations.

Watch: If the FAA revises spacing requirements for JFK’s parallel 31L/31R approaches, expect go-around rates to increase 10–20% during peak hours, adding delays for the airport’s 100,000+ daily passengers.

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