Pune airport reopens after IAF jet 'hard landing' incident

PUNE: After hours of disruption triggered by an incident involving an Indian Air Force aircraft, operations at Pune Airport resumed on Saturday morning, with authorities restoring the runway and declaring it fully operational at 8 am.

“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,” the Indian Air Force said in a post on its official X handle.

The runway had been rendered temporarily unavailable late Friday night following what officials described as a “hard landing” involving a military aircraft during routine night flying operations.

IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Jaideep Singh told TOI that, “As per the procedure, the court of inquiry has already been established to find out the exact cause of the incident.”

While the aircrew remained safe and no damage to civil infrastructure was reported, the incident brought civilian flight movements to a halt, leading to widespread inconvenience for passengers.

The scale of disruption was reflected in cancellations reported across airlines over April 17 and 18. IndiGo cancelled 31 arrivals and 34 departures, while Air India reported three arrivals and three departures cancelled. SpiceJet cancelled two arrivals and three departures, and Akasa Air reported two arrivals and three departures cancelled. Air India Express saw five arrivals and five departures cancelled, underscoring the widespread impact on civil aviation schedules, said an official from the Pune airport.

IAF sources added that a thorough inspection of the runway was carried out overnight by a team from the Pune Air Force base.

“After checking all the parameters, the runway was operationalised. The jet is being taken for thorough checking at the in-house maintenance unit where experts will assess its condition,” the sources said.

A senior IAF officer explained that “a hard landing of a fighter aircraft refers to a landing in which the aircraft touches down with greater force than normal. It happens often due to high descent speed, improper flare, adverse weather, or technical issues such as landing gear malfunction.”

“This can stress the airframe, damage the undercarriage, or affect onboard systems, though not all hard landings result in visible damage,” the officer added.

According to IAF sources, all required safety inspections and technical clearances were completed before reopening the runway.

"Personnel from Air Force Station Pune displayed highest standard of professionalism and worked through the night to expedite restoration efforts. Because of this efforts the flight operations could resume at the earliest," said wing Commander Jaideep Singh

Civil aviation operations, however, are being restored in a phased manner. Several flights scheduled during the night and early morning hours were delayed or held back, creating congestion inside the terminal. Passengers reported long waiting times, uncertainty around departures, and a lack of timely updates as airlines worked to recalibrate schedules, said the sources.

Santosh Dhoke, Pune airport director, told TOI," Our endeavour is to clear the backlog. Priority is being given to stranded passengers and delayed departures, while arrivals are also being staggered to maintain operational safety."

Airlines have advised passengers to check updated flight statuses before heading to the airport, as ripple effects of the disruption may continue through the day. Additional ground staff have been deployed to manage passenger flow and assist with rescheduling, said the airport officials.

"The incident has once again highlighted the operational challenges at dual-use airports, where military and civilian aviation share infrastructure. Any disruption on the runway can have cascading effects on commercial air traffic, particularly during peak travel hours," said aviation expert and analyst Dhairyashil Vandekar.
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