Pune

Flight operations at Pune airport resumed on Saturday morning after the runway was cleared and declared operational following an overnight closure caused by a technical snag in an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter aircraft, officials said.

A fighter aircraft experienced a technical issue in the undercarriage during landing around 10.25 pm on Friday, causing the runway to be blocked, Pune airport director Santosh Dhoke said in a press statement.

"As per SATCO, IAF, the aircraft became immobilised. Both pilots are safe. Due to the aircraft's position and damage, a NOTAM was issued for temporary runway closure until 5.30 am, later extended to 9 am to facilitate safe removal, inspection, and restoration," he said.

Earlier on Friday night, the IAF had stated that the runway at Pune airport was temporarily unavailable following an incident involving one of its fighter aircraft. The aircrew are safe, and there is no damage to civil property, it had said.

Later in a post on X, the IAF said, "The runway has now been restored and declared operational. All necessary safety inspections and clearances have been completed. Operations are resuming in a phased manner."

Dhoke said that the IAF aircraft was cleared from the runway around 5.45 am, and the runway has since been declared fit for operations.

Departures resumed from 7.30 am and arrivals from 8 am, he said.

According to the statement, flight operations were significantly impacted during the closure.

While 12 flights arriving at the airport were diverted, as many as 73 flights of various airlines were cancelled, it states.

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Passengers on the affected flights were provided drinking water, beverages and light refreshments.

"Teams from the CISF and AAI ensured smooth passenger handling and effective crowd management. Flight operations have now returned to normal. Airlines have coordinated with passengers regarding delays, cancellations, and diversions," the release said.