Passengers stranded at airport; flights affected after incident on Pune runway

CHENNAI: Flight operations between Chennai and Pune were disrupted after the runway at Pune airport was damaged during the landing of an Indian Air Force aircraft on Friday night, affecting passengers in Chennai.

Following the temporary closure of the runway, an Air India Express flight that departed Chennai at 10 pm with 162 passengers was unable to land in Pune and was diverted to Mumbai. An IndiGo flight that took off at 10.30 pm with 148 passengers was forced to return to Chennai mid-air.

The disruption extended into Saturday morning, with multiple cancellations reported. IndiGo flights scheduled to depart Chennai for Pune at 1.10 am, 3.10 am, and 4.50 am were cancelled. A SpiceJet flight scheduled at 5.20 am was also cancelled. Several return services from Pune to Chennai were similarly affected.

With around nine services on the Chennai-Pune sector impacted, passengers at Chennai airport were left stranded. Travellers reported confusion due to the lack of clear announcements regarding diversions and cancellations. Many gathered at airline counters seeking clarification, leading to arguments with airline staff.