A hard landing by an Indian Air Force fighter aircraft late Friday night led to the temporary closure of Pune International Airport's runway. The aircrew is safe, with no damage to civilian property. Operations are expected to resume in about 4-5 hours.
The Indian Air Force announced late Friday night that Pune International Airport's runway was temporarily closed following a hard landing by one of its fighter aircraft around 10:25 PM. In a social media post, the IAF stated, "Pune runway is temporarily unavailable due to an incident involving an IAF aircraft. Aircrew are safe and there is no damage to civilian property. Efforts are underway to activate the runway and restore normal operations."
Airport officials said the aircraft's undercarriage failed during landing, blocking the runway. Air Force air traffic control estimated 4-5 hours to clear it.
Civil Aviation Minister of State Muralidhar Mohol confirmed the disruption and posted on X, "Aircrew safe, no damage to civilian property. Airlines informed, normal operations in about 5 hours. In touch with airport director and IAF officials." Pune airport operates on a dual-use model, handling both civilian commercial and active Air Force operations.
