Jeddah-Mumbai flight tyres burst on landing, passengers safe

Mumbai, July 4 : Passengers aboard a Saudia airliner on a Jeddah-Mumbai flight had a scare when its tyres burst during landing at Mumbai airport Saturday evening, an official said.

The Saudia flight, SV-744, was landing around 6.30 p.m. in poor visibility conditions - upto 500 metres only - at the main runway, when the tyres burst.

Following the emergency, airport authorities immediately ordered the runway (0927) to be closed.

They made arrangements to tow away the aircraft but failed on account of the heavy load.

Even as the aircraft was stranded, the authorities ordered the 199 passengers to disembark from the plane on the taxiway No. 8 from where they were taken in buses to the arrival hall at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.

After nearly 40 minutes of closure of operations on the main runway, it was finally opened for normal operations.

Several incoming flights, including a Cathay Pacific Hong Kong-Mumbai flight and a Kingfisher Thiruvananthapuram-Mumbai flight went around circling over the city till they got landing permission.

The Saudia aircraft's return flight to Jeddah with 211 passengers booked on it was cancelled.

--IANS