Mumbai airport main runway operations resume after 26 hours
Flight operations at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport gradually resumed a day after a SpiceJet flight overshot the main runway 27, which remained non-operational for 26 hours. Even as the airport was limping back to normalcy, 44 flights had been cancelled while most aircraft reported an average 30-minute delay. Operations began after runway inspections and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were carried out. Read more!
On 19 September, a SpiceJet flight SG703 overshot the main runway at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport while landing due to slippery conditions during the incessant rains. While all 183 passengers were safe, the aircraft remained stuck in the mud for nearly 24 hours. The incident disrupted air traffic; primary runway operations were affected, leading to flight cancellations and diversions.
A 90-member team from Air India Engineering Services Limited successfully retrieved the stuck SpiceJet aircraft. AIESL's prompt action was appreciated by Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju. AIESL CEO, HR Jagannath, said their aircraft recovery kit was based in Mumbai itself.
Following the SpiceJet aircraft skidding incident, Mumbai-based Jet Airways had to cancel 70 flights, while Indigo and GoAir cancelled ten and two flights, respectively. Most of Jet Airways' aircraft have now been deployed as recovery flights for clearing the backlog. Mumbai Airport officials said it would take at least a day for the operations to return to actual normalcy.
