MUMBAI: An Air India aircraft overshot the runway while landing at Mumbai airport amid heavy rain on Monday morning. The A320 aircraft skidded off the main Runway 27, ran into an unpaved area, and then onto a taxiway before coming to a halt.Read also: Air India runway excursion: What caused the skid, how it unfolded, what happens next; key factsThe aircraft also sustained damage to its engine cowling, likely from contact with debris or soft terrain during the skid. However, the aircraft was able to taxi to a parking bay, said sources. The main runway was shut following the incident.
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Sources added that three tyres of the aircraft burst during the runway excursion.
“There are minor damages reported to the airport’s primary runway — 09/27.”“To ensure continuity of operations, the secondary runway — 14/32 — has been activated,” said a Mumbai airport spokesperson. The aircraft veered 16 to 17 metres off the runway after landing near the touchdown zone, but returned safely and taxied normally to the parking stand.The incident occurred at 9.27am when Air India flight AI-2744 landed from Kochi. The A320 aircraft (VT-TYA) touched down on Runway 27 but failed to remain on the runway during deceleration. Sources said a team from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is at the airport to investigate the matter.An Air India spokesperson said: “Flight AI-2744, operating from Kochi to Mumbai on 21 July 2025, experienced heavy rain during landing, resulting in a runway excursion after touchdown. The aircraft taxied safely to the gate, and all passengers and crew have since disembarked. The aircraft has been grounded for checks. The safety of passengers and crew remains our top priority.”Mumbai airport, in a statement, said, “An incoming aircraft from Kochi experienced a runway excursion at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), Mumbai at 09:27 hours on 21 July 2025. CSMIA’s emergency response teams were immediately activated to manage the incident.”“All passengers and crew are safe. Minor damages have been reported to the airport’s primary runway — 09/27. To ensure continuity of operations, the secondary runway — 14/32 — has been activated. At CSMIA, safety always remains our highest priority.”Had the aircraft gotten stuck in the unpaved ground, the main runway would have remained shut until it was removed.Past runway excursionsIn the past, several runway excursions have occurred at Mumbai airport during the monsoon. In September 2023, a VSR Ventures Learjet 45 arriving from Visakhapatnam veered off the runway during heavy rain and poor visibility. That disabled aircraft took several hours to be removed.
