Flight operations have resumed at Pune airport following extensive repairs conducted after an incident involving an aircraft from the Indian Air Force (IAF). Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, announced on social media platform X that the repair work on the runway was completed rapidly, with safety as the foremost concern.
“The runway at Pune Airport was temporarily unavailable following an incident involving an IAF aircraft. Runway repair work has since been completed on a war footing,” Mohol stated. He also mentioned that departure operations were set to resume at 7:30 AM, while arrival operations would start at 8:00 AM. Air traffic is expected to return to normal gradually throughout the day.
According to airport authorities, multiple flights were affected: 31 arrivals and 34 departures of IndiGo were canceled, along with 3 arrivals and departures each of Air India, 3 departures of SpiceJet, and other flights of Akasa Air. IndiGo issued an advisory urging passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport. The airline expressed regret for the inconvenience caused, explaining that the situation was beyond their control and that they were coordinating with relevant authorities.
“We are proactively notifying customers on their registered contact details with updates on their bookings. We also recommend checking your flight status before heading to the airport. If your flight is impacted, you may choose an alternate flight or opt for a full refund,” the airline stated.
Defence sources indicated that the incident involved a Sukhoi 30 MKI aircraft, though the IAF has not confirmed the specific aircraft type. Pune airport director Santosh Dhoke clarified that a fighter aircraft had suffered an undercarriage failure after a hard landing at approximately 10:25 PM, which led to the blockage of the runway. Efforts were ongoing to relocate the aircraft to a taxiway. According to IAF Air Traffic Control, it would take about 4-5 hours to clear the runway, as cranes and heavy machinery had been deployed for the task.
