A Spicejet Boeing 737-800 overshot the main runway at Mumbai airport while landing on Monday night, disrupting flight schedules and plunging thousands of passengers into misery.
The overrun led to diversion and cancellation of more than 200 domestic and international flights causing a major disruption at the second busiest international airport in India.
Spicejet flight #SG6237 from Jaipur to Mumbai was already delayed when it touched down in heavy rain on Runway 09/27 and skidded on the soft mud ground before the pilots managed to stop the Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
Airport operator Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) said 55 flights including 26 international and 29 domestic flights were diverted, and 203 flights were cancelled since runway closure. The main runway will shut for operations till Thursday while smaller capacity secondary runway 14/32 will be operational.
A 150-metre long ramp is being prepared to enable push the aircraft out of the grassy area. Air India”s disable aircraft removal kit has been mobilised.
The officials said the aircraft is likely to removed by Thursday and then the runway would be fully operational.
Mumbai airport has two runways and the second one can handle only up to 35 aircraft movements per hour while the main runway can handle 48 plane movements every hour, according to MIAL.
