SpiceJet plane gets stuck in mud, Mumbai airport resume operations after 10 hrs

56 flights diverted to different airports till this morning as the main runway was out of use due to SpiceJet aircraft stuck there

Flight operations at the Mumbai airport remain have slowly resumed on Wednesday morning after 56 flights were diverted as heavy rains continue to lash the metropolis. 

The skidding of a SpiceJet aircraft on the main runway (09/27) last night compounded the problem further as it forced the private airport operator to shift operations to the secondary runway, which can carry out limited operations.

The SpiceJet Boeing 737 aircraft carrying 183 people overshot a wet runway while landing at the airport in rain-hit Mumbai and got stuck in the mud, officials said yesterday, adding that all passengers were safely evacuated.

There was no smoke or fire emanating from the Boeing aircraft, said the officials.

Meanwhile, late on Tuesday night as torrential downpour continued over Mumbai, Jet Airways announced it had suspended temporarily all incoming and outgoing flights.
 

Rains affect airport operations

Earlier evening operations at Mumbai Airport were affected for nearly 30 minutes owing to poor visibility leading to diversion of four incoming flights and go-arounds for seven others.

As many as 56 flights have been diverted to different airports till this morning as the main runway was out of use due to the SpiceJet aircraft stuck there, an airport official said.

Following the downpour, several airlines issued travel advisories to the passengers.

IndiGo said in a tweet:


Partial operation is being carried out from the secondary runway (14/32 ) but due to the tailwinds, flight departures and arrivals are quite slow.

"Current visibility is 1600 mts with winds of 12 knots. RWY 14 is being used for arrivals while RWY 32 is being used for departures. The disabled aircraft recovery kit from Air India is at site and preparation of pavement underneath the aircraft is in progress," a Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) spokesperson said.

Mumbai airport, the country's second busiest airport, handles 930 flights per day with an average of 48 movements per hour.