In a bizarre incident, an Air India flight travelling from Thiruvananthapuram to Male, Maldives landed on the wrong runway. The plane landed on an under-construction runway, leading to two of its tires being deflated.
The A320-neo plane had 136 passengers on board, along with the crew. The aircraft landed on a wrong runway at Velena International Airport in Male, Maldives.
“VT EXL landed on an under-construction runway at Male,” a senior Air India official told PTI.
According to PTI, the plane’s tires deflated when it landed on the runway, and it had to be towed to the parking bay.
According to NDTV sources, the plane’s wheels and brake assemblies were damaged in the incident.
“This being a serious incident, Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has been informed. Both the pilots have been off rostered,” the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.
Images of the incident showed the aircraft being stuck on the runway, and images were even tweeted by a Maldives Member of Parliament.
The new runway is reportedly 3,400-meter-long and 60-meter-wide, and was reportedly to open up the airport to the A380, the Maldives Independent reported. The construction for the runway began in March.
Air india A380 landed VRMM new runway ..lol pic.twitter.com/S0oEIFpBSF
— Gudde (@mgudde) September 7, 2018
#AirIndia landed on the wrong runway. #JustNow
— Mohamed Ameeth (@MohamedAmeeth) September 7, 2018
Furathama jessee A380 eh noon pic.twitter.com/mAGAvGTJnr
Air india landed on the new runway. Ooops pic.twitter.com/2btu1zhT4D
— Yamyn Ha Sane (@neemay) September 7, 2018