Flight operations at Pune Airport were temporarily suspended late Friday night following an incident involving an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft.
According to officials, the incident occurred at around 10:25 pm when a fighter aircraft experienced an undercarriage failure during landing, resulting in the blockage of the runway. The aircrew onboard were reported safe, and no damage to civil property was recorded.
In an official statement, the Indian Air Force confirmed that the runway had become temporarily unavailable due to the incident, adding that efforts were immediately initiated to restore normal operations.
Air Traffic Control (ATC) sources indicated that it took approximately four to five hours to clear the runway and ensure safety compliance.
Reacting to the incident, Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol said the runway operations were temporarily halted due to the IAF aircraft incident, but all crew members are safe and no civil damage has occurred.
He added that all airlines have been informed and around five hours were required to restore operations. Mohol further stated that he is in constant coordination with airport authorities and IAF officials to ensure the situation is normalised at the earliest.
Airport authorities confirmed at 7:40 am on Saturday that the runway had been cleared with safety checks completed on priority. Departures resumed from 7:30 am, followed by arrivals from 8:00 am, with operations gradually normalising through the day.
