Getty ImagesA passenger carrier that ferries passengers to and from planes crashed at an airport near Washington, D.C., injuring at least 18 people, authorities said.
The vehicle, also known as a mobile lounge, docked at Washington Dulles International Airport around 4:30 pm EST (21:30 GMT) on Monday.
According to the Washington DC Airports Authority (MWAA), the vehicle crashed into a pier, which also caused damage to the terminal. The injured passengers used the stairs to exit the carrier and were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The use of mobile lounges at Dulles Airport began in 1959 and has long been criticized as outdated and insufficiently modern.
The lounge was carrying passengers from Concourse D and crashed into the pier at an angle as it approached the terminal, according to airport spokeswoman Crystal Nosal.
In her statement, she added that the airport remains open and operating as usual.
It is unknown how many passengers were on board at the time of the crash.
Dulles, which is located in Virginia but serves as one of the main airports for people traveling to and from Washington, D.C., has a fleet of 19 mobile lounges that can each carry 102 people.
Earlier this week, a former Trump official who was nominated to the MWAA board of directors criticized the vehicles, telling senators during his confirmation hearing that “the people carrier is a relic of the past.”
“It is a shame that international travelers visiting the capital of the most powerful country in the world are transported back to the 1960s,” Trent Morse said.
According to NBC Washington, mobile lounges were involved in 16 accidents over a 10-year period from 2007 to 2017, including one fatal accident.
The latest incident comes amid an ongoing government shutdown that has led to flight delays and long lines at U.S. airports.
The Trump administration has ordered 40 airports, including Dulles, to cut air traffic by 10% due to staffing shortages.
