PUNE: Flight operations at the city airport came to a grinding halt around 11pm on Friday, after its runway was closed for landings and take-offs following an incident involving an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft.At least 32 flights arriving from various cities were diverted or cancelled at the time of going to press. An equal number of departing flights were also cancelled or delayed.The IAF, in an official statement on X, confirmed that the 2,535m-long and 45m-wide runway was temporarily unavailable because of the incident. “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,” the statement read.Defence sources said the incident invol ve d a Sukhoi 30 MKi aircraft, but the IAF did not confirm the type of the aircraft.Pune airport director Santosh Dhoke said, “A fighter aircraft experienced an undercarriage failure after it had a hard landing around 10.25pm, resulting in blockage of the runway. It is currently positioned in the middle of the runway. Efforts are underway to move it to the taxiway. According to the IAF ATC, it will take 4-5 hours to clear the runway as cranes and heavy machinery have been deployed.”
‘Hard landing’: Runway not available for 5-6 hours
IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Jaideep Singh didn’t respond to calls. Another senior IAF officer said the exact cause of the incident would be established only after aformal court of inquiry.Defence PRO Ankush Chavan echoed Dhoke and said the runway would not be available for civil aircraft movements for the next five-six hours.Regarding potential damage to the runway surface, Dhoke said the area was under the IAF’s control. “We do not yet have details about the extent of the damage. Civil flight operations will resume only after clearance is given,” he said.Union minister of state for civil aviation and Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol confirmed the disruption in flight operations. “I am in constant touch with the airport and Air Force authorities to ensure early resolution,” he posted on X.The disruption in flight operations from around 11pm on Friday caused significant inconvenience to passengers. Confusion prevailed at the airport. Agha Meesam Hyder, scheduled to fly to Bhopal on an IndiGo flight at 1am, described the situation as chaotic.“The airline is telling us to cancel our journey and take a full refund. If not, we are being asked to wait until 1.30am,” he said.Hyder said IndiGo officially told them around 11.45pm that the runway was not operational because of a problem involving an aircraft