A Rajasthan government plane with Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje aboard made an emergency landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday evening. The plane made the emergency landing after a technical snag soon after takeoff. Raje and others onboard were not hurt in the incident.
Airport sources identified the aircraft as a six-seater Beechcraft 100. It had four people aboard — Raje and other senior government officials. "Soon after the plane took off, the pilot requested an emergency landing after suspecting a hydraulic snag in the nose wheel gear," said an air traffic controller on condition of anonymity.
"Due to the grace of the Almighty nothing disastrous happened to me. I am grateful to the people of Rajasthan whose wishes and blessings were with me," said Raje.
The plane had taken off at 5.19 pm for Jaipur and made the emergency landing at 5.30 pm, a source said. After the landing, the nose wheel developed problems as the plane was moving on a taxiway, the source said. "The aircraft, with registration number BTRJA, skidded and went ahead of the taxiway's turning point," the source added.
As the plane remained stuck on the taxiway till 6.45 pm, no aircraft could take off or land from the main runway (28/10). "Air traffic was badly affected even though domestic departure flights took off from the secondary runway (27/09). The CM had returned from a 12-day trip of US, UK and Dubai on Wednesday and was to leave for Jaipur this evening. She is completely safe and was taken to the VIP lounge," said a Rajasthan government official on condition of anonymity.
{{/usCountry}}As the plane remained stuck on the taxiway till 6.45 pm, no aircraft could take off or land from the main runway (28/10). "Air traffic was badly affected even though domestic departure flights took off from the secondary runway (27/09). The CM had returned from a 12-day trip of US, UK and Dubai on Wednesday and was to leave for Jaipur this evening. She is completely safe and was taken to the VIP lounge," said a Rajasthan government official on condition of anonymity.
{{/usCountry}}