Air India flight skidded off the runway today, causing damage to the plane and the runway. Air India confirmed that all passengers and crew aboard flight AI2744—which had flown from Kochi in Kerala—safely disembarked, though it did not disclose whether any injuries were reported.
According to a statement from Mumbai airport authorities, the incident was classified as a “runway excursion,” resulting in minor damage to the primary runway. A secondary runway was activated to maintain flight operations.
Air India said the aircraft has been grounded for inspection and checks.
A report by The Times of India, citing sources, claimed that three tyres burst during landing, while TV footage from NDTV and India Today showed visible damage to the outer casing of one engine, including apparent cracks.
This incident adds to the scrutiny Air India is already facing. The airline recently drew criticism following the fatal crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, which claimed 260 lives.
Additionally, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) announced plans to investigate Air India Express, the airline’s budget subsidiary. This comes after a Reuters report alleged that the carrier failed to replace engine parts on an Airbus A320 as required and falsified maintenance records to falsely show compliance.
In another development, nother post-crash report holds the Jeju Air pilot responsible for the passengers’ plane crash. South Korean investigators probing the Jeju Air 089590.KS crash in December has found “clear evidence” that the aircraft’s pilots mistakenly shut down the less-damaged engine following a bird strike.
The source said cockpit voice recordings, flight data, and a physical engine switch recovered from the wreckage confirm that the left engine—which sustained less damage—was turned off instead of the right engine, which took the brunt of the bird strike.
“The investigation team has solid evidence and supporting data, so the conclusion is unlikely to change,” the source stated.
