An IndiGo flight landed on the same runway at the same time an Air India flight was taking off from Mumbai airport - a video showed, prompting concerns online and leading to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aviation regulator, taking action and de-rostering an Air Traffic Control (ATC) officer on duty.
The civil aviation regulator has also launched a probe into the matter.
The 14-second video which went viral on social media, showed both the aircrafts on the same runway.
It can be seen clearly in the video that as the Air India plane takes off, the Indigo aircraft makes a landing on the same runway.
According to a report by NDTV, IndiGo said that the pilot of the Indore-Mumbai flight 6E 6053 abided by the instructions which were given by the ATC.
The airlines in a statement said, "On June 8, 2024, IndiGo flight 6E 6053 from Indore was given landing clearance by ATC at Mumbai Airport. The Pilot in Command continued the approach and landing and followed ATC instructions. At IndiGo, passenger safety is paramount to us, and we have reported the incident as per procedure."
The DGCA, in a statement, said "DGCA has derostered the ATC staff involved in the incident at Mumbai Airport where an inbound IndiGo flight landing on Runway 27 while an Air India flight was still in the process of taking off."
Air India, meanwhile, said, "AI657 from Mumbai to Trivandrum was on take-off roll on June 8. The Air India aircraft was cleared by Air Traffic Control to enter the runway and subsequently cleared for take-off. The Air India aircraft continued with the take-off roll in accordance with laid down procedures. An investigation has been initiated by the authorities to find out more about the clearance given to the airlines."
Yesterday’s incident at #MumbaiAirport where an @IndiGo6E plane landed while an @airindia flight was taking off on the same runway is extremely concerning. The runway is already over-congested, handling over 1,000 flights daily, making it prone to risks.@MoCA_GoI & @DGCAIndia… pic.twitter.com/br7j3SyB9Z
— Milind Deora | मिलिंद देवरा ☮️ (@milinddeora) June 9, 2024
In a post on X, MP Milind Deora said, "Yesterday’s incident at Mumbai airport where an IndiGo 6E plane landed while an Air India flight was taking off on the same runway is extremely concerning. The runway is already over-congested, handling over 1,000 flights daily, making it prone to risks."
He added, "Ministry of Civil Aviation and Directorate General of Civil Aviation India must initiate a speedy inquiry & suspend the concerned officials to prevent such dangerous lapses in the future."
(With ANI inputs)