Pune: An Indian Air Force fighter aircraft’s landing mishap at Pune Airport late Friday night forced the temporary shutdown of one of Maharashtra’s busiest airports, disrupting dozens of civilian flights for hours. The runway was restored on Saturday morning after emergency clearance and safety checks.
What happened at Pune Airport?
According to airport and IAF officials, the incident took place around 10.25 pm on April 17 when a fighter aircraft suffered an undercarriage failure during landing. The aircraft came to a halt on the runway, blocking it completely and making the airstrip unusable for both military and civilian operations.
The Indian Air Force later said the aircrew were safe and there was no damage to civil property.
What is an undercarriage failure?
In aviation, the undercarriage refers to the landing gear system — wheels, struts and support mechanisms used during take-off, landing and taxiing.
A failure can mean:
Landing gear not deploying properly
Collapse of one or more wheels on touchdown
Mechanical malfunction in the shock-absorbing system
Damage caused by a hard landing
Such incidents can leave an aircraft stranded on the runway, as appears to have happened in Pune.
Why did one incident shut the whole airport?
Pune Airport is a dual-use airport, meaning it serves both civilian airlines and the Indian Air Force. It operates with a single primary runway, so if that strip is blocked, all incoming and outgoing traffic must stop until the aircraft is removed and inspections are completed.
That is why one military aircraft incident quickly affected commercial passengers as well.
How badly were flights affected?
Airport authorities said:
46 arrivals cancelled
52 departures cancelled
12 flights diverted
Several airlines including IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, Akasa Air and Air India Express were impacted.
When did operations resume?
The aircraft was reportedly removed from the runway around 5.45 am. After inspections and clearances, departures resumed from 7.30 am, while arrivals restarted from 8 am in a phased manner.
Why is Pune Airport strategically important?
Apart from serving lakhs of passengers, Pune Airport is also linked to the nearby Lohegaon Air Force Station, making it a key military-civil aviation hub. Pune is a major industrial, educational and defence city, so prolonged disruption at the airport has both economic and operational consequences.
What happens next?
The exact technical cause of the landing gear failure is yet to be officially detailed. Standard procedure would typically involve a technical inspection of the aircraft and review of landing conditions, maintenance records and pilot inputs.
For passengers, services have resumed — but the incident has once again highlighted the vulnerability of single-runway dual-use airports.
