Qatar Airways is counting the cost of repairs that will be needed to two widebody aircraft today after a violent storm pushed a parked plane into the side of an Airbus A350 worth $360 million at list price. Winds of 72kmh hit Doha yesterday afternoon with torrential rain and even a sand storm lashing the city and causing major disruption.
Video has emerged of the parked Boeing 787 Dreamliner being pushed from its stand at Hamad International Airport and then colliding nose on with the side of the Airbus A350. Both planes will likely require substantial repairs.
Qatar Airways has been contacted for comment.
The last few weeks have proved to be particularly eventful for A350’s – in part, because there are so many grounded planes now clogging up airports around the world. In April, a British Airways A350-1000 collided with the tailfin of a parked Emirates Boeing 777 as it was being pushed back at Dubai International airport.
Unsurprisingly, the special cargo flight had to be cancelled so that extensive repairs could be made on the damaged aircraft.
Around the same time, there was another collision between one of Cathay Pacific’s Boeing 777’s and a parked Airbus A350. In that incident, the tip of one of the wings was sheared off by the 777 as it was being towed at Hong Kong International Airport.
All three accidents are likely to involve expensive repairs – costs that no airline can afford right now as the Corona-crisis keeps the vast majority of planes indefinitely grounded.
