Planes Collide at Airport in Snowy Conditions

Two planes collided on a runway in Japan during a severe blizzard on Tuesday, the second airport crash in the country in weeks after a Japanese Airlines aircraft burst into flames earlier this month.

The latest incident happened as a Korean Air plane preparing to take off at New Chitose Airport (CTS), on the Japanese northern island of Hokkaido, crashed into a Cathay Pacific Airways aircraft, as reported by a Korean Air official mentioned in several media reports.

Footage of the incident shared on social media shows the damage caused to both aircraft after the Korean Air plane hit the Cathay Pacific aircraft as the two planes sat on the runway amid heavy snowfall. The crash happened at about 5:30 p.m. local time.

There were 280 passengers and crew on board the Korean Air plane and no passengers on the Cathay Pacific aircraft. No injuries have been reported so far, and the fire department said there was no fire.

The weather conditions on Tuesday had already prompted the cancellations of more than 46 flights at New Chitose Airport, while many other flights were delayed.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Japanese airport wrote: "New Chitose Airport is experiencing flight delays and cancellations today due to heavy snow. Please check with your airline for details."

The incident in Hokkaido comes only two weeks after a Japanese Airlines plane crashed into a Japan Coast Guard aircraft on the runway of Tokyo's Haneda Airport on January 2.

All 379 people aboard the Japanese Airlines flight, including passengers and crew members, were safely evacuated from the aircraft which was quickly engulfed in flames, while five people aboard the Japan Coast Guard plane died. The pilot of the plane escaped. The incident happened shortly before 6 p.m. local time.

While Japanese authorities are still investigating the incident, they already said that the Japanese Airlines plane had received permission to land while the smaller plane had not been cleared to take off.

The Coast Guard plane, normally based at Haneda Airport, was preparing to fly to Niigata Airport in western Japan to deliver relief after a devastating earthquake hit the region on January 1, killing at least 48 people.

A collision between two Boeing planes was also reported at the Chicago O'Hare Airport on Sunday, where a plane ready for take-off clipped another aircraft on the runway. The city is currently under a severe winter chills warning issued by the National Weather Service (NWS).

The incident involved a plane from All Nippon Airways, a Japanese airline, which struck the rear of a Delta Air Lines.

In response to a request for comment by Newsweek, the FAA shared the following statement: "All Nippon Airways Flight 11, a Boeing 777, was taxiing for departure at Chicago O'Hare International Airport around 6:30 p.m. local time on Sunday, Jan. 14, when the left winglet struck the stabilizer of Delta Air Lines Flight 2122, a Boeing 717. The incident occurred in an area not under air traffic control. No injuries were reported. The FAA will investigate."

Update 01/16/24, 8:06 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and background and to note that Newsweek reached out to the FAA for comment.

Update 01/16/24, 10:45 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include a comment from the FAA.