Pune airport reopens after IAF aircraft’s landing gear failure blocks runway

Flight operations at Pune airport resumed on Saturday morning after an Indian Air Force aircraft suffered a landing gear failure that blocked the runway overnight, disrupting multiple commercial flights.

The runway was declared operational after safety inspections were completed, with departures resuming first, followed by arrivals shortly after.

Landing gear failure halts operations

The disruption began late on Friday when a fighter aircraft experienced an undercarriage failure during landing at around 10:25 pm, airport authorities said, reported by Moneycontrol. The aircraft remained on the runway, forcing authorities to suspend operations.

Officials estimated it would take four to five hours to clear the runway and restore normal operations. The shutdown continued into the early hours of Saturday, affecting scheduled services.

The Indian Air Force said in a statement that the runway had been temporarily unavailable due to the incident and confirmed that the aircrew were safe, with no damage reported to civilian property.

Widespread cancellations across airlines

The closure led to significant disruption across airlines operating at Pune. According to Moneycontrol, several carriers cancelled both arrivals and departures as a result of the runway blockage.

IndiGo cancelled 31 arrivals and 34 departures, while Air India cancelled three arrivals and three departures. SpiceJet and Akasa Air each cancelled two arrivals and three departures. Air India Express reported five arrivals and five departures being cancelled.

The disruption impacted both inbound and outbound flights, leaving passengers to deal with delays and rescheduling.

Operations resume after safety checks

The Indian Air Force said the runway had been restored and declared operational after all required safety inspections and clearances were completed. It added that operations were resuming in a phased manner.

Airport authorities confirmed that departures restarted at around 7:30 am, with arrivals following from 8:00 am as airlines began normalising schedules.

Dual-use operations under focus

Pune airport operates as a dual-use facility, handling both civilian and military traffic. Incidents involving defence aircraft can therefore directly affect commercial operations.

Authorities are expected to review the circumstances of the incident and the response timeline as part of standard procedures.

While services have resumed, airlines are likely to take time to stabilise schedules following the disruption. The episode underscores the operational sensitivity of shared-use airports, particularly during unexpected technical issues involving military aircraft.