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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken immediate action following a near-miss incident at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. On June 9, an Indigo flight landed on the same runway where an Air India flight was taking off. This serious lapse has led to the derostering of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) staff involved.
Incident Overview
The DGCA released a statement confirming the derostering of the ATC personnel: “DGCA has derostered the ATC staff involved in the incident at Mumbai Airport where an inbound IndiGo flight landed on Runway 27 while an Air India flight was still in the process of taking off.”
Single most dangerous situation I’ve seen in an Indian airport. Don’t know how this happened in Mumbai yesterday, but the ATC needs to face jail time for this – unless the Indigo pilot disobeyed orders. pic.twitter.com/R1s6d7btzI
— Abhijit Iyer-Mitra (@Iyervval) June 9, 2024
Inquiry Initiated
An official from the DGCA has informed that a detailed inquiry has been launched to investigate the root cause of this grievous error and to implement measures to prevent future occurrences. The DGCA’s swift response underscores the importance of maintaining stringent safety protocols.
Details of the Incident
The incident, which occurred early Saturday morning, involved IndiGo flight 5053 from Indore’s Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport and Air India flight 657, departing for Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. Visuals of the incident have gone viral on social media, highlighting the severe lapse in coordination between the ATC and the flights.
Indigo’s Statement
Indigo also issued a statement regarding the incident. An airline spokesperson said, “The flight from Indore was given landing clearance by ATC at Mumbai Airport. The Pilot in Command continued the approach and landing and followed ATC instructions. At IndiGo, passenger safety is paramount to us, and we have reported the incident as per procedure.”
