Pune airport runway opens for flights after shutdown due to IAF jet's hard landing

The Pune international airport runway has reopened for normal flight operations after it was temporarily shut down following an incident involving an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft hard landing during a routine night sortie at Air Force Station Lohegaon. The incident occurred around 10:25 pm on Friday, with both aircrew safe and no damage to civil property.

The runway remained closed for about nine hours as repairs and safety checks were carried out. IAF personnel worked overnight to restore operations, making the runway functional by 8:00 am on Saturday. Departures resumed at 7:30 am and arrivals at 8:00 am, with air traffic normalising gradually.

"Reportedly Two pilots who were on a night sortie.Due to the incident, all inbound and outbound commercial air traffic were halted until runway clearance was completed. This took around 9 hours," Mos civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol said on Saturday.

Late Friday night, IAF said that the runway at Pune airport was temporarily unavailable following an incident involving one of its aircraft, disrupting both inbound and outbound commercial flight operations.

"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," the IAF said.

The Indian Air Force in a post on X later confirmed that the runway at Pune Airport, which was temporarily unavailable due to an incident involving an Indian Air Force aircraft, has now been restored and declared operational. All necessary safety inspections and clearances have been completed. Operations are resuming in a phased manner.

Airport and police sources indicated that the aircraft may have suffered an undercarriage failure upon touchdown, leading to the blockage of the runway. However, detailed technical specifics have not yet been officially disclosed.

Authorities at Pune International Airport said the incident took place at approximately 10.25 pm. Following the occurrence, air traffic was immediately suspended as a safety precaution.

The airport, which operates under a dual-use model integrating civilian flights with an active Air Force station at Lohegaon, saw a complete halt in commercial operations.

During this period, airlines were notified of the disruption, and flight schedules were impacted accordingly.

Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol also confirmed the situation, reiterating that passenger safety remained uncompromised.

He stated that authorities worked closely to ensure the runway was cleared at the earliest and normal operations resumed without delay.

Efforts continued overnight to remove the affected aircraft and inspect the runway for safety compliance. Airport authorities and IAF personnel remained engaged in coordinated recovery operations.

ARRIVALS, DEPARTURES AFFECTED

Flight operations at the airport faced major disruption on April 17 and 18 following the runway shutdown, leading to widespread cancellations across airlines.

IndiGo recorded the highest number, cancelling 31 arrivals and 34 departures. Air India cancelled three arrivals and three departures.

SpiceJet and Akasa Air each saw two arrivals and three departures cancelled. Air India Express reported five arrivals and five departures cancelled.

The large-scale disruption impacted travel plans, with airlines working to assist affected passengers and manage rescheduling.

INDIGO ADVISORY

IndiGo issued a travel advisory following the temporary closure of Pune airport’s runway, warning that several flights to and from the city may be affected.

In a statement shared on social media, the airline urged passengers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport and advised those impacted to either rebook on alternate flights or opt for a full refund under its Plan B policy.

IndiGo said its teams are proactively contacting customers with updates and assured that airport and customer service staff remain available to assist passengers during the disruption.