Korean Air and Asiana Airlines planes sit at a parking ramp of Gimpo International Airport, Tuesday, after the colliding. / Yonhap



By Kim Jae-heun



An Asiana Airlines aircraft was involved in a collision with a plane from Korean Air in a towing incident at Gimpo International Airport, Tuesday. No one was injured, but both planes incurred structural damage.



According to the country's two flagship carriers, a towing vehicle was moving the Asiana Airlines jet to a boarding gate when its wing hit a rear stabilizer of the Korean Air plane. Only four mechanics were on board the two planes and none were hurt. The two carriers are blaming each other for the accident



The two carriers are blaming each other for the accident.



Korean Air said its plane was stationary when the Asiana Airlines aircraft collided with it.



"Our plane was being moved to boarding gate 35, and the control tower ordered us to stand by on the taxiway. We had been waiting about four minutes when the wing of an Asiana Airlines plane hit the tail," a Korean Air official said.



Asiana Airlines said the Korean Air jet was not parked as it was still being towed by a towing vehicle.



"Our plane was moving properly according to orders given by the control tower," an Asiana Airlines official said.



An airport staff member who was at the scene said the Korean Air plane was in the wrong location as it was 10 meters behind where it was supposed to be.



"The front wheel of the Korean Air aircraft should've been touching the yellow mark on the ground, but the towing vehicle was on it instead," the airport staffer said.



Airport authorities are looking into the exact cause of the incident. They also suggested the drivers of the towing vehicles might have been careless.



The Asiana Airlines plane, scheduled to depart for Beijing, was delayed for three hours and 50 minutes due to the accident. The Korean Air's flight destined for Osaka at 8:50 a.m. was also delayed for three hours and 55 minutes.

