Airport main runway to be shut for two days

Mumbai: The main runway of Mumbai airport will remain shut for two more days after being closed late Monday night following a Spice Jet aircraft overshooting while landing amid heavy rain.

A 150-metre-ramp is being prepared to help move the plane, a Boeing 737-800, which is still stuck at the end of the runway.

The heavy downpour in Mumbai has disrupted operations at the airport, with at least 52 flights being cancelled and 55 flights diverted till 10am on Tuesday, which include 29 domestic and 26 international ones according to Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) officials.

A MIAL official said that as many as 52 flights were cancelled and another 55 diverted, till about 10am Tuesday due to “inclement” weather and runway closure since Monday late evening.

Meanwhile, the Spice Jet flight from Jaipur was carrying 167 passengers and crew. The aircraft is stuck partially on the runway and the nearby area covered with grass. A team of engineers and technicians from Air India is working to remove the stuck aircraft with the Disabled Aircraft Recovery Kit (DARK). According to an Air India spokesperson, the kit, used to remove stuck aircraft, is only available with the national carrier.

“A 150-metre-long ramp is being prepared to enable push the aircraft out of the grassy area. Air India’s disabled aircraft removal kit has been mobilised,” the official said. He added that the runway would be fully operational by Thursday after the aircraft had been removed.

“Currently, the secondary runway is in use. Our team is trying their best to bring the main runway back into operation and this may take up to 48 hours,” Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) said in a tweet.