May 17—A Delhi-bound Air India flight with 180 passengers collided with a tug tractor at the Pune Airport runway on Thursday ( May 16), news agency ANI reported. There was no injury to the passengers though the aircraft suffered damage due to the collision. "The aircraft, carrying around 180 passengers, suffered damage to its nose and a tyre near the landing gear. Despite the collision, all passengers and crew on board are reported to be safe," an airport official told the news agency.
The passengers were made to disembark the plane following the mishap. Alternative arrangements were made for the passengers as they remained stranded at the airport.
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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an inquiry to determine the cause of the collision, ANI reported. Preliminary reports suggest that the tug truck, used for manoeuvring the aircraft on the ground, struck the plane during the taxiing process. Airport operations continued without significant disruption, although the affected aircraft was taken out of service for detailed inspection and repairs for a brief period and is now ready for operations.
Air India said the airline arranged for a full refund and complimentary rescheduling. "There was an incident related to one of our aircraft, which was to operate Pune to Delhi, at the time of its pushback. The aircraft was held back for checks, all passengers were offloaded safely, and the flight was cancelled. Passengers were eventually refunded their full fares and offered complimentary rescheduling. Those with onward international connections were flown to Delhi by other carriers. An investigation into the incident has already been initiated," the airline said.
(With ANI inputs)
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