Major scare at Delhi airport as Afghanistan flight lands on take-off runway: 'Miraculous escape'

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In a major aviation scare at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), an Ariana Afghan Airlines flight from Kabul mistakenly landed on a runway designated exclusively for take-offs on Sunday afternoon.

According to a report in The Times of India, the Airbus A310, operating as Ariana Afghan Airlines flight FG 311, had been cleared to land on runway 29L. However, it touched down on runway 29R at around 12:06 pm on November 23, sources told TOI.

Runway 29R is typically reserved for departures, while 29L is used for incoming flights.

Air traffic sources described the incident as a “miraculous escape”, adding that another aircraft was scheduled to take off from 29R.

Fortunately, no aircraft was lined up on the runway at the time FG 311 descended, preventing what could have been a catastrophic runway incursion, the report said.

Aviation authorities have initiated a detailed investigation and are preparing to formally raise the matter with their counterparts in Afghanistan.

Recent close shaves at Delhi airport

The latest incident follows a few near-miss events at Delhi airport in recent months:

* In August, a Vistara aircraft reportedly came within seconds of a potential collision after a miscommunication between pilots and air traffic control during taxiing.

* Earlier this year, an IndiGo and Air India flight came alarmingly close on a converging taxiway, prompting the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to issue safety advisories.

* Last month, another runway incursion scare occurred when two aircraft were cleared to use intersecting runways within a short interval, triggering calls for improved ATC coordination.