Flight operations at Pune International Airport have resumed on Saturday (18 Aprl) after the runway was cleared and repaired following an incident involving an Indian Air Force aircraft late Friday night.
Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said that repair work was completed on a war footing with safety as the top priority.
Departure operations at the airport resumed from 07:30 AM, while arrivals began from 08:00 AM, with air traffic expected to normalise gradually through the day.
“The runway at Pune Airport was temporarily unavailable following an IAF aircraft incident. Repairs completed on priority with safety ensured. Departures from 07:30 AM Arrivals from 08:00 AM Operations normalising through the day,” Pune airport said in a post on X on Saturday.
The disruption began around 10.25 hrs on Friday when an IAF fighter aircraft reportedly experienced an undercarriage failure during landing, leading to a blockage of the runway.
The airport, which operates under a dual-use model for both civilian and Air Force activities, had to suspend operations immediately.
In a statement issued overnight, the Indian Air Force said the runway had been rendered temporarily unavailable due to the incident, but confirmed that the aircrew were safe and there was no damage to civil property.
Restoration work was initiated soon after to bring the runway back into service at the earliest.
Airlines were informed of the disruption, and schedules are now being recalibrated as operations restart in a staggered manner.
With the runway now operational, flight movements are expected to stabilise over the course of the day.
