In today’s incident at New Chitose Airport in northern Japan, a Korean Air plane carrying 289 people collided with a parked Cathay Pacific aircraft during pre-takeoff procedures. Fortunately, there were no injuries or fire reported, according to fire and airline officials.

The incident occurred just two weeks after a tragic collision between a Japan Airlines airliner and a Coast Guard plane at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. The earlier incident resulted in a fire that claimed the lives of five out of six crew members on the smaller plane.

According to the Chitose City Fire Department, the Korean Air plane, an Airbus A330-300 (Flight 766), was being pushed back from its parking spot to the runway for takeoff.

During this maneuver, the left wing of the Korean Air aircraft made contact with the vertical stabilizer of the empty Cathay Pacific plane parked adjacent to it.

Korean Air released a statement attributing the incident to a third-party ground handler vehicle slipping due to heavy snow during the pushback. The airline assured cooperation with relevant authorities in the investigation.

Despite visible damage to the left wing of the Korean Air plane, none of the 276 passengers and 13 crew members on board were injured. Emergency services confirmed the absence of fire or fuel leaks.

Korean Air announced plans to dispatch a replacement plane to pick up the passengers later on Tuesday.

NHK public television footage revealed the broken tip of the Korean Air plane’s left wing, while Cathay Pacific Flight 584, arriving from Hong Kong, was parked nearby.

Authorities have initiated investigations into the causes of the incident at New Chitose Airport, focusing on the circumstances leading to the collision.

This incident and the recent Haneda Airport collision underscore the importance of scrutinizing communication protocols between air traffic controllers and aircraft for enhanced safety measures.