Airbus A321 Lines Up on Wrong Runway at JFK

On December 18, 2025, VivaAerobus Flight VIV100, an Airbus A321neo registered XA-VXR, was operating from Mexico City to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport. The crew was cleared for the RNAV Z approach to Runway 13L and then cleared to land on 13L.

The aircraft nevertheless turned toward parallel Runway 13R. A Turkish Airlines Boeing 787-9, registration TC-LLD, was occupying 13R and had received takeoff clearance. The two aircraft were therefore moving toward the same runway environment from different directions.

The VivaAerobus crew recognized the alignment error and initiated a go-around before reaching the runway. Occurrence reporting places the aircraft at about 700 feet above ground level when the go-around began, while the available description gives approximately 500 feet. Both accounts agree on the critical point: the crew discontinued the approach before touchdown.

The tower cancelled the Turkish 787's takeoff clearance while the A321 was approaching the wrong runway. The Boeing received another takeoff clearance approximately 90 seconds later.

The A321 climbed to approximately 3,000 feet, repositioned and completed another Canarsie approach to Runway 13L. It landed about 17 minutes after the go-around. The crew was subsequently instructed to contact ATC by telephone concerning a possible pilot deviation.

The event ended without a collision, but the geometry of the situation made the timing important. Runways 13L and 13R have similar headings, so a late identification of the wrong runway can place an arriving aircraft in conflict with traffic already occupying the parallel runway.

Accident Facts

Sources

AeroInside — https://www.aeroinside.com/21443/vivaaerobus-a21n-at-new-york-on-dec-18th-2025-approached-wrong-runway

Airportia — https://www.airportia.com/news/vivaaerobus-a21n-at-new-york-on-dec-18th-2025-approached-wrong-runway/

the associated record — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERQJZYwXWP8