Air India plane tyres burst after near-miss at Mumbai Airport
A potentially catastrophic runway incursion was narrowly averted at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on the night of July 7 after an Air India flight bound for Delhi aborted its takeoff following an urgent instruction from Air Traffic Control (ATC), which alerted the crew that another aircraft was still on the active runway.
According to operational logs and airport sources, Air India flight AI816 (registration VT-ALT), carrying 225 passengers and crew, had begun its takeoff roll from Runway 27 after pushing back from the bay at 2129 hrs. At approximately 2150 hrs, ATC instructed the cockpit crew to “STOP IMMEDIATELY” as the preceding arrival, Air India Express flight IX1547, had not yet vacated the runway.
The flight crew, led by Captain N Vinay Divakar, carried out a high-speed rejected takeoff in accordance with standard safety procedures and safely vacated the runway. Simultaneously, another inbound aircraft, AI699, was instructed to execute a go-around as a precaution.
The aircraft subsequently returned to Stand S2, reaching the bay at 2215 hrs. A runway inspection conducted between 2154 hrs and 2158 hrs found no abnormalities or foreign object debris.
However, a post-incident technical inspection revealed that three tyres on AI816 had burst during the high-speed aborted takeoff due to the extreme braking forces involved. Air India personnel were informed of the tyre damage at around 2220 hrs. No injuries were reported among passengers or crew.
In a statement, Air India confirmed the sequence of events, saying the crew discontinued the takeoff after receiving instructions from ATC and returned the aircraft to the bay for mandatory technical inspections. The airline said alternative travel arrangements were being made for affected passengers and reiterated that passenger safety remains its highest priority.
The aircraft involved was operating the Mumbai-Delhi service, while the arriving aircraft that had not cleared the runway was an Air India Express plane operating from Bagdogra. Initial reports had suggested the flight originated from Kochi, but operational records confirmed Siliguri as its departure point.
The incident is the second reported serious ground safety event involving Air India aircraft within a month. In late June, an Air India aircraft and an IndiGo aircraft reportedly came into close proximity on the ground at Ahmedabad, raising broader concerns over runway and ground movement safety.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) have initiated a joint investigation into the incident. The probe will examine runway occupancy management, ATC communication protocols, and operational procedures to determine why the arriving aircraft had not vacated the runway before takeoff clearance was issued and whether procedural or workload-related lapses played a role.
The Air India plane, understood to be around 16 years old, has been grounded pending detailed engineering inspections, including examinations of its braking system, landing gear, tyres and associated assemblies. While only the tyre damage has been confirmed publicly, engineers are also assessing the aircraft for any potential brake or engine stress resulting from the rejected takeoff.
All passengers were safely deplaned and are being accommodated on alternative flights.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the operational pressures at one of India’s busiest airports and underscores the critical importance of strict runway separation and air traffic management standards. Further details are expected as the official investigation progresses.
