The Jet Airways bus reportedly went out of control and hit the Air India plane (Press Trust of India photo)
A Jet Airways shuttle bus driver has confessed that he dozed off and crashed into an Air India aircraft at the Kolkata airport early this morning, causing damage worth crores though no one was seriously hurt.
The plane, said to be worth Rs 400 crore, was extensively damaged, says Air India.
The driver, Momin Ali, is likely to be arrested. "He has said that after a night shift, he had fallen asleep and deviated from his route," said airport director AK Sharma.
There were no passengers in the aircraft or on the bus when the incident took place at around 5:25 am.
Airport officials said the plane was parked at Bay no. 32 and was preparing to fly to Silchar in Assam. The bus hit the plane near its left wing. A medical exam revealed that the driver was not drunk or on drugs.
The plane has been grounded, according to Air India officials. The airline has cancelled two flights to the North East.
The aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation has ordered an investigation into the incident, which comes less than a week after an Air India engineer was sucked into the engine of a plane because of what appears to be miscommunication between him and the pilot.