A potentially serious runway incident was averted at Mumbai airport on Tuesday night after an Air India aircraft preparing for departure aborted its take-off run on the instructions of Air Traffic Control
(ATC), as an Air India Express plane had not yet vacated the same runway after landing, news agency PTI quoted sources as saying.
The incident occurred at around 10 pm and involved Air India flight AI816, which was scheduled to operate from Mumbai to Delhi, and Air India Express flight AIX1547, which had just arrived from Siliguri.
Sources told PTI that the Air India Express aircraft was still on the runway after landing when the Delhi-bound Air India flight was preparing for take-off from the same runway.
The ATC intervened in time and instructed the Air India crew to discontinue the take-off run, averting a possible disaster.
Air India confirmed the incident in a statement, saying the crew acted immediately on the ATC’s instructions.
“The crew operating flight AI816 from Mumbai to Delhi on 7 July discontinued the take-off run after receiving an instruction to do so from the Air Traffic Control and returned to the bay,” the airline said.
The airline did not disclose specific operational details about the incident.
The report mentioned that flight AI816 was to be operated with a wide-body Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft, while Air India Express flight AIX1547, which had landed from Siliguri, was operated with a narrow-body Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
A take-off run refers to the phase during which an aircraft rolls on the runway and accelerates before reaching the speed required for take-off.
The take-off was discontinued before the aircraft became airborne following the ATC’s instructions.
Following the aborted take-off, the aircraft returned to the bay, where it will undergo mandatory inspections in accordance with the airline’s standard operating procedures before being cleared for further operations.
Air India said alternate arrangements were being made to minimise inconvenience to passengers.
“The aircraft will undergo necessary checks as per standard operating procedures. Meanwhile, an alternative arrangement is being made to fly the passengers to their destination at the earliest. Air India regrets the inconvenience caused to passengers due to this unforeseen situation. At Air India, the safety and well-being of our passengers remain a top priority,” the airline said in its statement.
The number of passengers on board either of the two aircraft could not be immediately ascertained.
While no injuries or damage were reported, the incident highlighted the importance of strict runway management and timely intervention by Air Traffic Control in ensuring flight safety.
