SEOUL – Two aircraft operated by different carriers collided at New Chitose Airport on Tuesday on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido.
The aircraft were operated by Korean Air Lines and Cathay Pacific Airways but fortunately, no injuries were reported on either plane, as confirmed by Japanese media.
The Korean Air flight involved in the incident had 289 passengers and crew members on board, as disclosed by an airline representative. However, conflicting information emerged from Japanese media regarding the presence of passengers on the Cathay Pacific aircraft, with no official word on the number of flyers on board.
The airport received notification of the incident shortly after 17:30 local time (08:30 GMT) on Tuesday. The two aircraft, Korean Air Lines flight 766 en route to Seoul and Cathay Pacific Airways flight 583 bound for Hong Kong, were positioned next to each other at the gates.
According to the details, the collision occurred when a towing car, pushing the Korean Air plane backward in preparation for departure, slipped on the snowy ground, leading to the left wing of the Korean Air plane colliding with the right tail wing of the Cathay Pacific aircraft, as explained by the Korean Air official.
Soon after the incident, more than 80 domestic and international flights departing and arriving at New Chitose Airport were canceled on Tuesday due to adverse weather conditions, according to the airport spokesperson.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision as both airlines assess the situation to avoid any untoward situation in the future.
