Mumbai (TDI): An Air India Airbus AIR.PA A320 flight veered off the runway as it landed during heavy rain at the Mumbai International Airport on Monday, briefly shutting the runway and damaging the underside of one of the plane’s engines.
Flight AI2744, which departed from Kerala’s Kochi, veered off course while touching down amid poor visibility and wet runway conditions.
The airline confirmed that all passengers and crew disembarked safely. It did not comment on whether any injuries occurred.
Airport authorities described the event as a “runway excursion” and said the primary runway suffered minor damage. A secondary runway was immediately put into use to keep flights running without major delays.
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Indian media reported that three tyres burst during the landing. Television footage aired later showed damage to the engine’s outer shell, including what appeared to be cracks.
The aircraft has since been grounded for thorough inspection, Air India stated.
This incident comes at a time when the airline is already under close watch. Just weeks ago, an Air India Dreamliner tragically crashed in Ahmedabad, leaving 260 dead. The event shocked the country and raised serious safety concerns.
Read More: Air India Flight Crashes Near Ahmedabad, Dozens Dead
Adding to the scrutiny, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) announced plans to investigate Air India Express after allegations surfaced that the airline failed to timely replace certain Airbus A320 engine parts and falsified maintenance records to appear compliant.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
