Pune: IAF fighter jet’s tyre bursts on runway, hits flight operations
Joy Sengupta | TNN | Mar 19, 2019, 07:25 IST
Representative imagePUNE: A total of 16 flights to and from the city were delayed, while three were diverted on Monday following the closure of the airport’s only runway for two hours and 10 minutes after a tyre ofa fighter jet of the Indian Air Force burst — the second such incident in two months.
“Total 16 flights were affected because of the runway closure between 11.20am and 1.30pm. The closure was on account of an IAF aircraft stuck up on the runway, due to which all commercial scheduled flight operations had to be stopped. While the flights were affected, there were no cancellations. The inconvenience caused is regretted,” Pune airport director Ajay Kumar, in a statement issued, said.
The Air Force (IAF) was contacted, but a reaction from it was awaited till the time of going to press.
This is the second incident of an IAF fighter jet left stranded on the runway after a tyre-burst. A Sukhoi fighter jet had got stuck on January 18, delaying many flights.
Anirudha Sharma, who was on way to Pune from Bengaluru in an IndiGo flight, said, “There was an announcement in the flight suddenly that the flight was being diverted to Hyderabad. This happened after the flight hovered over the Pune airspace for around 30 minutes. The pilot had announced that we would be landing in a short while. I had an important meeting, which I postponed.”
Another flyer booked on a SpiceJet flight to Goa said, “It was a delay of more than three hours. It turned out to be a major issue for me because I could not check in to my hotel on time and had to wait. Why cannot the airport improve its facilities? All these affect passengers, but no one understands.”
There are eight departures and nine arrivals of commercial flights to/from the airport between 9am and noon. In the slot between noon and 3pm, there are six departures and 11 arrivals at the facility.
The airport authorities had stated earlier this year that the re-carpeting of the runway was scheduled this year. But the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the IAF have remained silent on it thereafter.
Air Marshal Bhushan Gokhale (retired) told TOI that a single-runway airport was bound to face such problems. “It takes at least hours to clear the runway. Moreover, the re-carpeting of the runway is very important and should happen without delay. Nowadays, it can be done without much hassle. It needs to be done considering that Pune is a defence airport and involves national security,” Gokhale said.
“Total 16 flights were affected because of the runway closure between 11.20am and 1.30pm. The closure was on account of an IAF aircraft stuck up on the runway, due to which all commercial scheduled flight operations had to be stopped. While the flights were affected, there were no cancellations. The inconvenience caused is regretted,” Pune airport director Ajay Kumar, in a statement issued, said.
The Air Force (IAF) was contacted, but a reaction from it was awaited till the time of going to press.
This is the second incident of an IAF fighter jet left stranded on the runway after a tyre-burst. A Sukhoi fighter jet had got stuck on January 18, delaying many flights.
Anirudha Sharma, who was on way to Pune from Bengaluru in an IndiGo flight, said, “There was an announcement in the flight suddenly that the flight was being diverted to Hyderabad. This happened after the flight hovered over the Pune airspace for around 30 minutes. The pilot had announced that we would be landing in a short while. I had an important meeting, which I postponed.”
Another flyer booked on a SpiceJet flight to Goa said, “It was a delay of more than three hours. It turned out to be a major issue for me because I could not check in to my hotel on time and had to wait. Why cannot the airport improve its facilities? All these affect passengers, but no one understands.”
There are eight departures and nine arrivals of commercial flights to/from the airport between 9am and noon. In the slot between noon and 3pm, there are six departures and 11 arrivals at the facility.
The airport authorities had stated earlier this year that the re-carpeting of the runway was scheduled this year. But the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the IAF have remained silent on it thereafter.
Air Marshal Bhushan Gokhale (retired) told TOI that a single-runway airport was bound to face such problems. “It takes at least hours to clear the runway. Moreover, the re-carpeting of the runway is very important and should happen without delay. Nowadays, it can be done without much hassle. It needs to be done considering that Pune is a defence airport and involves national security,” Gokhale said.
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