A Boeing-737 operated by German carrier Germania collided with an El Al plane on the ground at Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport early Wednesday as it was being pushed from the gate, causing damage to both aircraft.
Israel Airports Authority Spokesman Ofer Lefler said the tail end of the Germania plane, which was headed for Berlin, crashed into the tail end of the Rome-bound El Al aircraft.
He said "heavy damage was inflicted, mainly to the German plane," but passengers were "not in any danger," and were placed on other flights.
He said the rare incident was being investigated.
Footage shows the tail end of the German plane sliced open.
A total of some 350 people were on both planes, but the fully loaded fuel tanks did not catch fire from the heat generated by the friction, avoiding a potentially catastrophic incident.
Noa Miller, who was on the El Al plane during the incident, told Army Radio: "It was the middle of the night, everyone was half asleep, but then we heard a loud bang. I just hope that we can get on with our vacation as soon as possible."
