Air India Wrong Turn On Ahmedabad Taxiway Sparks Face-Off With IndiGo Plane, DGCA Probes

Mumbai: A post-landing wrong turn by an Air India aircraft on the tarmac of Ahmedabad Airport triggered a major ground safety scare after it ended up facing an IndiGo aircraft heading for departure on the same taxiway. While the crew managed to keep the aircraft from getting extremely close to each other, the incident is expected to draw regulatory scrutiny.

Around 8pm on Wednesday, when an IndiGo flight 6E-5160 was taxiing out toward the runway for its departure from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport to Mumbai, an Air India flight AI-2493 touched down from Mumbai and was proceeding towards the stand. As the two planes rounded the bend, they found themselves staring directly at each other on the same narrow strip of asphalt.

According to sources, the incident involved two of India's largest commercial carriers operating narrow-body Airbus A320-family aircraft, collectively carrying over 300 passengers and crew. The Air India flight was instructed by air traffic control (ATC) to taxi to Stand 34L via Taxiway C and Taxiway G. Instead of following the assigned line, the Air India pilots inadvertently made an incorrect turn, steering the aircraft onto an active taxiway path designated for departing traffic.  

Sources at the airport said that both aircraft were brought to a sudden halt, remaining separated by roughly 200 meters. ATC immediately instructed the IndiGo flight to hold its position as a shield, while ground tugs were dispatched to tow the misdirected Air India aircraft back to its correct parking bay. Prompt intervention by the ATC and the alertness of both flight crews prevented a potentially disastrous runway incursion or ground collision.

Both airlines, in their respective statements, confirmed that the situation arose because of an incorrect turn by the Air India aircraft. Air India claimed that there was no compromise on the safety of passengers and crew. The IndiGo aircraft experienced a minor departure delay due to the incident, but took off at 8.24pm and landed in Mumbai at 9.21pm.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated a formal probe into the incident, according to internal sources. Sources close to the development indicated that the Air India operating crew is highly likely to face immediate action, such as de-rostering, pending the final safety report.  

While the physical distance between the two planes ensured there was no immediate impact risk, senior officials emphasised that taxiway incursions are classified as severe procedural breakdowns. Ahmedabad airport handles heavy traffic with a single-runway layout, meaning a single spatial awareness error can easily cascade into gridlock or a catastrophic collision.