Incident at New Chitose Airport: Korean Air and Cathay Pacific Planes Clip Wings Due To Heavy Snow
Two commercial aircraft, one belonging to Korean Air Lines and the other to Cathay Pacific Airways, collided at New Chitose Airport on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido on Tuesday, resulting in damage to the Korean Air plane's wing.
The collision occurred as a result of the wintry conditions, with a towing car slipping due to snow on the ground during pushback operations for the Korean plane, causing the plane's left wing to clip the Cathay Pacific plane's right tail wing. Fortunately, no injuries were reported on either plane.
The Korean Air flight, bound for Seoul, had 289 passengers and crew members on board, while conflicting information arose regarding whether passengers were on the Cathay Pacific aircraft.
The incident comes two weeks after a near-catastrophic collision at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, where a Japan Airlines plane and a smaller coast guard plane were involved. The government has since tightened air traffic control protocols, aiming to prevent runway incursions and enhance overall safety in aviation.
The collision at New Chitose Airport underscores the challenges posed by wintry weather conditions, with Hokkaido experiencing heavy snowfall and temperatures as low as -7°C. More than 80 domestic and international flights departing and arriving at New Chitose Airport have been cancelled due to the adverse weather conditions.
