A Thai Airways Airbus A330 has seriously damaged a Gulfstream IV private jet. This occurred whilst taxiing at Vientiane Airport on the 9th of March; after its wing struck the tail, chopping it clean off.

The aircraft, an Airbus A330-300 registered HS-TEU, was preparing to perform flight TG575 from Vientiane to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, with 92 passengers and crew on board when the incident occurred.

Photos circulating on Twitter show the Gulfstream IV, operated by Blue Sky Leasing under registration M-YWAY, in its parking bay looking in pristine condition, other than the fact that its tail is hanging somewhat perfectly off the side.

However, upon closer inspection, the nose landing gear also appears to have endured considerable forces; as identified by its twisted stance, rather than being in line with the pavement markings.

As for the Airbus A330, the damage is entirely limited to the outboard leading edge of the wing; photos show a dent just prior to the wingtip.

For the Thai Airways Airbus A330 the repairs should be fairly easy, and at a time where travel demand is much lower due to COVID-19, this shouldn’t create too much of a problem in terms of operational performance.

However the story is different for the Gulfstream IV, which will have to undergo a large-scale inspection; primarily for structural deformation and any other internal components that may have been destroyed/damaged.