Pune Airport Runway Reopens After 9-Hour Halt, Flights Resume

IAF Aircraft Makes Hard Landing During Night Sortie

Flight operations at the Pune Airport came to a standstill at around 11pm on Friday, as its runway was shut for landing and take-off following an incident involving an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft. The Defence sources reported the incident involved a Sukhoi 30 MKi aircraft but there was no confirmation by the IAF about the type of aircraft. At least 32 inbound flights were either diverted or cancelled while departures were also cancelled or delayed.

No Injuries Reported, Civil Property Remains Safe

Union Minister of State for Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, confirmed the temporary suspension of operations at the airport.
"Thankfully, the aircrew are safe and there has been no damage to civil property. Airlines have been informed, and it may take approximately 5 hours to restore normal runway operations," Mohol said.
"I am in constant touch with the Airport Director and Air Force officials to ensure the situation is resolved at the earliest," he added.

Official Statement from Airport Authorities

The officials at the Pune International Airport said, an undercarriage failure took place on the fighter aircraft, leading to the blockage of the runway.
Pune airport director Santosh Dhoke said, “A fighter aircraft experienced an undercarriage failure after it had a hard landing around 10.25pm, resulting in blockage of the runway. It is currently positioned in the middle of the runway. Efforts are underway to move it to the taxiway. According to the IAF ATC, it will take 4-5 hours to clear the runway as cranes and heavy machinery have been deployed.”

Indian Air Force Assures Safe Crew

Earlier, the Indian Air Force had said in a statement that the runway at Pune airport is currently unavailable following the incident involving a fighter jet belonging to the IAF. The restoration work was underway.
“Pune runway is temporarily unavailable due to an incident involving an IAF aircraft. The aircrew are safe and there is no damage to civil property. Efforts are underway to operationalise the runway and resume normal operations at the earliest," it said.

IndiGo Issues Alert, Offers Reschedule

IndiGo also issued an advisory to passengers stating that flights to and from Pune may be affected. The airline requested travelers to check the status of their flight and advised them to either change their travel dates to other flights or get a full refund through its 'Plan B' policy if they are unable to change flights. The teams at IndiGo were also contacting travelers with updates.