In another aviation incident in Japan, two aircraft, one belonging to Korean Air Lines and the other to Cathay Pacific Airways, clipped wings at New Chitose Airport on the northern island of Hokkaido. The incident occurred during wintry conditions, with no reported injuries on either plane, according to Japanese media.
The Korean Air flight involved had 289 passengers and crew members on board, and conflicting information surfaced regarding whether passengers were on the Cathay Pacific aircraft. Cathay Pacific Airways has not yet provided comments on the incident.
The mishap took place as a towing car, pushing the Korean Air plane backward in preparation for departure, slipped on snowy ground. This led to the left wing of the Korean Air plane colliding with the right tail wing of the Cathay Pacific aircraft, as per the initial assessment by Korean Air Lines.
The cause of the incident was attributed to the towing operation in heavy snow conditions, highlighting the challenges posed by wintry weather during ground operations. An airport spokesperson was not immediately available for comment. This incident comes nearly two weeks after a Japan Airlines Airbus A350 caught fire following a collision with a De Havilland Dash-8 Coast Guard turboprop shortly after landing at Haneda airport, adding to recent safety concerns in the region’s aviation sector.
