Pune airport reopens after IAF aircraft 'hard landing' incident; flight operations resume

Flight operations at Pune Airport resumed on Saturday morning after authorities restored the runway that had been shut following an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft incident late Friday night.

In a statement on X, Pune Airport said repairs were completed on priority with safety checks in place. Departures restarted from 7:30 am, while arrivals resumed from 8:00 am, with operations expected to normalise through the day.

The disruption was triggered after an IAF aircraft encountered a technical issue during landing, leading to a temporary runway closure. The IAF had earlier said the runway was “temporarily unavailable” due to the incident but confirmed that the aircrew were safe and there was no damage to civil property.



According to airport authorities, the incident occurred around 10:25 pm on Friday when a fighter aircraft suffered an undercarriage failure during landing, blocking the runway. Initial estimates suggested it would take four to five hours to clear the aircraft and restore operations.

A police official described the episode as a “hard landing” but did not provide further details.

Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol had also confirmed the suspension of runway operations, stating that airlines were informed and efforts were underway to resume services at the earliest. He said he was in constant touch with airport and Air Force officials to ensure swift resolution.

Pune Airport operates under a dual-use model, handling both civilian flights and military operations from an active Air Force station, making it susceptible to disruptions in the event of defence-related incidents.