A Mumbai-Chennai SpiceJet flight “abandoned” take-off on around 10 p.m. on Thursday owing to a technical problem. As a result, a Delhi-Mumbai Kingfisher flight, which was slated to land at the same time, had to “go around” until the runway was cleared, a spokesperson of Mumbai International Airport Limited said on Friday.
“The ATC [Air Traffic Control] had given permission for the Kingfisher flight to land. But they realised that our flight was still on the runway. There was some technical problem. However, after a technical check it was cleared for take-off,” Priti Dey, corporate communications, SpiceJet, told TheHindu over telephone.
While reports termed the incident “an averted mishap,” M.G. Junghare, general manager, Air Traffic Management, told TheHindu it was a normal procedure. “Every 55 seconds an aircraft lands or takes off at the airport. If for any reason a plane does not take off and remains on the runway, the incoming flight will naturally have to go around. These are normal procedures. [Plus], the SpiceJet flight was at the beginning of the runway when it aborted take-off.”
