Late-night IAF incident disrupts dozens of flights at Pune airport — here's what happened

Flight operations at Pune airport came to a sudden standstill late Friday night after an incident involving an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft forced authorities to shut the runway. The disruption began around 11 pm, affecting both arrivals and departures and leaving passengers stranded or scrambling for alternatives.

Runway blocked after undercarriage failure

According to airport officials, the incident occurred around 10.25 pm when a fighter aircraft experienced an undercarriage failure following a hard landing. The aircraft came to a halt in the middle of the runway, blocking all movement.

Per The Times of India, 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."

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Defence sources indicated that the aircraft involved was a Sukhoi 30 MKI, the IAF did not officially confirm the type.

Dozens of flights cancelled or diverted

The sudden closure had a cascading effect on flight schedules. At least 32 incoming flights from various cities were either diverted or cancelled at the time of reporting. A similar number of departures were delayed or called off, creating widespread disruption.

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.

Runway closure expected for hours

Officials said the runway would remain unavailable for civil operations for at least five to six hours. Per TOI, Defence PRO Ankush Chavan reiterated that clearance would depend on how quickly the aircraft could be removed and the runway assessed.

On possible damage to the runway surface, Dhoke noted that the affected area falls under IAF control and details were still awaited. "We do not yet have details about the extent of the damage. Civil flight operations will resume only after clearance is given," he said.

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Passengers face confusion, delays

The disruption led to confusion at the airport, with many passengers receiving last-minute updates. Agha Meesam Hyder, scheduled to fly to Bhopal on an IndiGo flight at 1 am, 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 1.30 am," he said.

Union minister of state for civil aviation and Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol said he was monitoring the situation closely. Meanwhile, authorities indicated that a formal court of inquiry would determine the exact cause of the incident.

Flights cancelled

As per data by Flightradar24,

Arrivals

The 6:35 am IndiGo flight 6E607 from Chennai.

The 6:45 am IndiGo flight 6E5322 from Delhi.

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The 6:50 am Akasa Air flight QP1311 from Bengaluru.

Departures

The 6:40 am IndiGo flight 6E391 to Bengaluru.

The 7:20 am IndiGo flight 6E956 to Vadodara.

The 7:25 am IndiGo flight 6E2375 to Delhi.