A potentially serious incident occurred at Mumbai airport on Tuesday evening when two Air India group aircraft ended up facing each other on the same runway. At approximately 10 pm, the situation reached a critical point when an Air India flight preparing to depart for Delhi was forced to discontinue its take-off roll. According to official accounts, the maneuver was only avoided after the flight crew received immediate instructions from Air Traffic Control to halt the process.
The Sequence of Events
The incident unfolded when an Air India Express aircraft, which had just completed its landing, failed to vacate the runway in time. Simultaneously, the Delhi-bound Air India flight was lining up and beginning its departure roll. An airline spokesperson explained that a take-off run involves the aircraft rolling along the runway to build sufficient speed for lift-off. Acting on the controller's direction, the pilot managed to stop the Boeing 777-300 ER before it reached critical take-off speed, thereby preventing a potential collision on the tarmac.
Details on the Aircraft Involved
The departing flight identified as AI816 was utilizing a wide-body Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft. The aircraft that was still on the runway after its own arrival was identified as Air India Express flight AIX1547, arriving from Siliguri. This specific aircraft is a narrow-body Boeing 737 MAX 8 model. The airline confirmed that the crew operating flight AI816 on July 7 followed standard protocols after the instruction to discontinue their run was received from Air Traffic Control, which subsequently required the aircraft to return to the bay.
Operational Follow-up
While the airline has not disclosed the precise number of passengers on either of the two flights, they have confirmed that the aircraft will undergo mandatory technical inspections in compliance with established operating rules. Air India noted that they are currently coordinating to arrange an alternative plan to ensure that the affected passengers can continue their travel as soon as possible. The primary focus for the carrier remains on completing safety checks and ensuring the smooth onward transition for those impacted by the runway incident.
