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Mumbai airport runway incident: Air India aborts take-off as Air India Express clears runway
A Mumbai airport runway incident on July 7 saw Air India flight AI816 abort its take-off run after an Air Traffic Control instruction, as Air India Express flight AIX1547 had not yet vacated the runway following landing. Air India said the aircraft returned to the bay. No further operational details were disclosed.
Two Air India group aircraft ended up facing each other on the same runway at Mumbai airport on Tuesday evening, sources said. The situation eased after Air India stopped its take-off roll on air traffic control instructions. The incident happened at around 10 pm, the sources added.
/img/2026/07/mumbai-airport-runway-incident-air-india-air-india-express-july-7-1783452015563-600x338.jpg "Mumbai runway incident: AI816 aborts")
Sources said an Air India Express aircraft had landed and had not yet cleared the runway. At the same time, a Delhi-bound Air India flight was lining up to depart from that runway. The Air India aircraft halted before reaching take-off speed, avoiding a possible mishap.
Air India runway incident at Mumbai airport
Air India said the event involved flight AI816 from Mumbai to Delhi. The carrier stated that the take-off run ended after the controller’s direction. The airline did not share more operational details. The sequence left the departing aircraft returning from the runway.
The airline spokesperson said, "The crew operating flight AI816 from Mumbai to Delhi on July 7 discontinued the take-off run after receiving an instruction to do so from the Air Traffic Control and returned to the bay,\" in a statement. The spokesperson also said checks would follow standard procedures.
Air India aircraft and Air India Express aircraft details
Sources said AI816 was planned with a wide-body Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft. The aircraft on the runway after landing was Air India Express flight AIX1547 from Siliguri. Sources said AIX1547 used a narrow-body Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane.
Air India explained that a take-off run means the aircraft rolls to build speed. The spokesperson said the aircraft would undergo needed inspections as per operating rules. Air India also said an alternative plan was being arranged to fly passengers soon.
Officials did not immediately confirm how many passengers were on either flight. Air India’s statement did not provide more details about the runway sequence. The flights and aircraft types were identified by sources, while the airline focused on checks and onward travel arrangements.
With inputs from PTI
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