A potential aviation disaster was averted at Mumbai airport on Tuesday night after an Air India aircraft preparing for take-off and an Air India Express plane that had just landed ended up on the same runway, news agency PTI reported citing sources.
The incident took place around 10 pm when the Air India flight bound for Delhi was getting ready to depart. The take-off was aborted after air traffic control (ATC) intervened.
The Air India Express aircraft had landed but was yet to vacate the runway when the Delhi-bound Air India flight began its take-off preparations on the same runway, PTI sources added. With both aircraft facing each other on the runway, air traffic controllers instructed the Air India crew to discontinue the take-off run.
Air India confirms aborted take-off
In a statement, Air India confirmed that the take-off run was halted following instructions from air traffic control.
"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.
Generally, a take-off run refers to an aircraft rolling before gaining take-off speed.
{{/usCountry}}Generally, a take-off run refers to an aircraft rolling before gaining take-off speed.
{{/usCountry}}The airline added that the aircraft would further undergo mandatory inspections before being cleared for service.
"The aircraft will undergo necessary checks as per standard operating procedures. Meanwhile, alternative arrangement is being made to fly the passengers to their destination at the earliest," the airline said.
Expressing regret over the disruption caused to passengers, the airline said safety considerations guided its response to the situation.
"Air India regrets the inconvenience caused to passengers due to this unforeseen situation. At Air India, the safety and wellbeing of our passengers remain top priority."
There was no immediate report of any injuries or damage to either aircraft. The circumstances that led to both planes being on the same runway at the same time were not immediately clear.
According to PTI sources, the Delhi-bound Air India flight AI816 was scheduled to be operated using a wide-body Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The Air India Express flight AIX1547, which had arrived from Siliguri and was still on the runway, was being operated with a narrow-body Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
(With inputs from Neha LM Tripathi)