Saudia planes collide outside airport hangar

Two aircraft belonging to Saudi Arabian Airlines were slightly damaged in a minor collision at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah on Monday morning.

An Airbus 320, which was pulling out of a hangar, hit one of the wings of a Boeing 777 that was coming in for maintenance, the Makkah daily reported on Tuesday, quoting an airport source.

The collision created a dent in the tail of the Airbus and one of the Boeing’s wings was damaged.

“The accident occurred when the Airbus 320, which had just finished maintenance work, was coming out of the hangar. There weren’t any injuries recorded and the quality assurance directorate is investigating the incident,” said the source.

“The accident happened due to a failure in following rules and procedures. The maintenance crew responsible for the negligence will be punished,” he said.

The source said the damage might seem minor but the cost of repairing it would be huge. “Saudi Arabian Airlines will not compromise on the quality of its airplanes and compliance with safety regulations,” he said.

The Saudi Aerospace Engineering Industries is responsible for the maintenance of all Saudia airplanes.