Pune Airport Runway Repaired After IAF Incident, Flight Ops Resume

Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol announced the completion of runway repairs at Pune Airport following an incident involving an Indian Air Force aircraft. The IAF confirmed the aircrew was safe and there was no damage to civil property, though the incident made the runway temporarily unavailable. The disruption led to the cancellation of dozens of flights from various airlines including IndiGo and Air India. Operations have now resumed, with departures restarting from 7:30 am and arrivals from 8:00 am, and air traffic is expected to normalize through the day.

Key Points: Pune Airport Runway Repaired, Flight Operations Resume After Incident

  • Runway repair completed on war footing
  • Departures resumed from 7:30 AM
  • Arrivals resumed from 8:00 AM
  • Multiple flight cancellations reported
  • IAF confirmed aircrew safe, no civil damage
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Runway repairs completed after IAF aircraft incident at Pune Airport; flight operations resume, says MoS Murlidhar Mohol

Pune Airport runway repairs completed after IAF aircraft incident. Flight operations resume, says MoS Murlidhar Mohol. Details on cancellations and restoration.

"The runway at Pune Airport was temporarily unavailable... Runway repair work has since been completed on a war footing. - Murlidhar Mohol"

Pune, April 18

Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol on Saturday announced that the runway repair work at Pune Airport had been completed on a war footing after an incident involving an Indian Air Force aircraft temporarily disrupted operations.

In a post on X, Mohol said safety remained the top priority during restoration work and confirmed that departure operations resumed from 7:30 am, while arrival operations restarted from 8:00 am. He added that air traffic in Pune is expected to gradually return to normal over the course of the day.

"The runway at Pune Airport was temporarily unavailable following an incident involving an IAF aircraft. Runway repair work has since been completed on a war footing, with safety maintained as the top priority throughout. Departure operations will resume from 07:30 AM, and arrival operations will commence from 08:00 AM. Air traffic in Pune is expected to gradually return to normal over the course of the day," Mohol posted.

Earlier on Friday, the IAF said the runway had become temporarily unavailable following the aircraft-related incident, but confirmed that the aircrew were safe and there was no damage to civil property.

In a post on X, the IAF stated, "Pune runway is temporarily unavailable due to an incident involving an IAF aircraft. The aircrew are safe and there is no damage to civil property. Efforts are underway to operationalise the runway and resume normal operations at the earliest."

According to the Airport Director, the disruption led to the cancellation of several flights, including 31 arrivals and 34 departures of IndiGo, three arrivals and three departures of Air India, two arrivals and three departures of SpiceJet, two arrivals and three departures of Akasa Air, and five arrivals and five departures of Air India Express.

Efforts were undertaken to operationalise the runway at the earliest, and authorities have indicated that normal operations are being restored progressively.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
While the repair speed is commendable, the cancellation of so many flights (31 arrivals/34 departures for IndiGo alone!) must have caused major travel chaos. Airlines and the airport need a better contingency plan for passengers during such disruptions.
P
Priya S
Thank God the aircrew is safe. That's the most important thing. Jai Hind to our IAF. The runway work getting done overnight shows good coordination between civil and defence authorities. 🙏
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Rohit P
My flight to Delhi was cancelled yesterday. Had to rebook for today morning. The communication from the airline was poor, but at least operations are back. Hope the compensation process is smooth.
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Karthik V
Pune Airport handles a lot of defence traffic being so close to important bases. These incidents, while rare, are a reminder of the shared infrastructure. Glad it was resolved quickly without damage to civilian property.
M
Michael C
Efficient handling of the situation. The transparency from MoS Mohol and the IAF on X is appreciated. Clear, timely updates help reduce passenger anxiety during such events.

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