Mumbai:
A Kingfisher flight arriving from Bhavnagar (Gujarat) had a close shave at the Mumbai airport on Tuesday, after it skid off the runway. The ATR aircraft with 42 passengers and four crew members on board overshot the runway after it landed. Three people, including the pilot, suffered minor injuries.
Both the pilots have been taken off duty pending an internal inquiry by Kingfisher, but the airline has raised questions about the airport's role in the incident.
For six hours every Tuesday, only half the standard runway is available for take-off/landing at Mumbai Airport, due to ongoing renovation. The Kingfisher flight's landed on this shorter runway, in a touchdown complicated by poor visibility and rain.
Kingfisher claims that it had earlier requested airport authorities to make the entire length of the runway available, instead of just half, because the DGCA forbids take-offs and landings on a short runway once it is wet.