A Korean Air Airbus A330-300 and a Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300 were involved in a wing-clip incident on 16 January, at New Chitose airport on Japan’s northern Hokkaido island.
The incident took place around 17:30 local time amid heavy snow conditions, according to local media reports. The Korean Air A330 (HL7702) was operating as flight KE766 to Seoul Incheon and was carrying 276 passengers and 13 crew members.
The Cathay aircraft (B-HNW), parked beside the Korean Air A330, was empty at the time of the incident, the airline says. It was to operate flight CX583 from New Chitose to Hong Kong.
The Korean Air jet was pushing back for departure when the towing vehicle – operated by the airport ground handler – slipped due to heavy snow.
As a result, the A330 “came into contact” with the tail of the stationary Cathay 777, says Korean Air.
There were no injuries reported from the incident. According to images on social media, the A330’s winglets appear to have been bent from the collision, while the parts of the 777’s empennage and right horizontal stabiliser were damaged.
The island of Hokkaido has been hit by intense snowfall in recent days, with several cities issuing heavy snow warnings. At the time of the incident, there were at least 80 arriving and departing flights cancelled at New Chitose.
According to Cirium fleets data, the A330 was delivered to Korean Air in 2001, and is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW4168A engines. The 777 was first delivered to Emirates in 2002, before entering service with Cathay in 2019. The aircraft is fitted with two Rolls-Royce Trent 892 engines.
The 16 January event follows a similar incident more than half a year ago at another Japanese airport. Two A330s - operated by Thai Airways International and EVA Air - were involved in a wing-clip incident at Tokyo’s Haneda airport in June 2023.
Parts of the Thai A330’s winglet were broken off by the collision, while the EVA jet reportedly suffered damage to its horizontal stabiliser.
The latest wing-clip incident comes weeks after a fatal collision between a Japan Airlines A350 and a Japan Coast Guard De Havilland Dash 8 turboprop at Haneda, which resulted in the deaths of five Coast Guard crew members.
