The mishap happened when the Boeing 777 landed at Charles de Gaulle airport and a large technical assistance vehicle, weighing 4-5 tons, approached it from the right. The vehicle could not brake on time – initial investigations revealed the runway was wet from rain – and slammed into the aircraft’s wing, seriously damaging an engine.

It caused Vietnam Airlines to delay a flight to Vietnam, scheduled to take off a few hours later, with the Boeing 777 estimated to require 3 to 5 days to get ready to fly again.

All 116 passengers of the suspended flight were provided meals and three-star hotel accommodation, airline officials said.