A Virgin aircraft has been badly damaged after it struck a tow vehicle at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport.
The collision unfolded during a ground transfer at about 10pm on Sunday night.
Photos show extensive cracks along the side of the Boeing 737 on the tarmac.
Maintenance workers were seen trying to temporarily patch up the damage with black tape.
No passengers were on board at the time.
There were no reports of any injuries.
The aircraft was being towed to undergo scheduled maintenance.
‘A Virgin aircraft was being towed to the maintenance hangar at Melbourne Airport when it appears to have become disconnected from the tug vehicle, causing the tug to impact the side of the aircraft,’ a spokesperson told Daily Mail .
‘Safety is always our top priority and an investigation is now underway to determine the cause of the incident.
‘We do not anticipate any impacts to our flying schedule on Monday.’
It’s not known how long the plane will be out of action.
The damage bill is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands.
The relevant authorities have been notified.