Heart-Stopping moment: IndiGo plane lands just feet behind Air India Flight during takeoff in western India
by Utsav RoyA significant accident was narrowly avoided when two flights came dangerously close on the runway in western India’s Maharashtra.
This happened at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai city on June 8.
Visuals showed one plane landing on the same runway from which another was taking off.
According to the reports, the IndiGo flight 6E 5053 from Indore’s Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport landed while Air India flight AI657 was taking off for Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.
The close timing of the landing and takeoff created a potentially hazardous situation. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) swiftly de-rostered the Air Traffic Control (ATC) officer and staff involved and initiated an investigation to understand the safety lapse.
General Secretary of the ATC Guild India’s Alok Yadav said, “Mumbai and Delhi airports operate at high intensity, with around 46 flights per hour. ATCOs ensure the safe arrival and departure of planes. The video showed good visibility, suggesting traffic separation minima could be reduced if visually assured. The departing aircraft seemed to have reached B2 speed and was nose-up as the arriving plane touched down on Runway 27. The incident is under investigation.”
IndiGo stated that the pilot of the Indore-Mumbai flight followed ATC instructions. “On June 8, 2024, IndiGo flight 6E 6053 from Indore was cleared to land by ATC at Mumbai Airport. The Pilot in Command adhered to ATC instructions. Passenger safety is paramount to us, and we have reported the incident as required,” IndiGo said in a statement.