Damaged Air India Aircraft At Pune Airport Shifted From Parking Bay To Indian Air Force Area

The damaged Air India aircraft, previously parked at a bay in Pune Airport, has been relocated to an adjacent Indian Air Force area, informed Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State (MoS) for Civil Aviation, on Thursday.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Pune MP wrote, "Damaged Air India Aircraft at Pune airport moved from the parking bay. Air India's plane, which was involved in an accident resulting in the blocking of a parking bay at Pune International Airport, has now been moved to the adjacent Indian Air Force area. Many thanks to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for approving the request within 24 hours."

Mohol met Singh on Wednesday to discuss three key issues concerning Pune, and the shifting of this aircraft was one of them.

This Delhi-bound Air India flight had to abort its take-off and was later cancelled after colliding with a luggage tractor trolley while taxiing for departure at Pune Airport on May 16 this year. There were approximately 200 passengers on board, who were stranded at the airport for about six hours following the incident. The passengers were refunded their full fares and offered complimentary rescheduling. Those with onward international connections were accommodated on flights operated by other carriers.

Subsequently, both the airline and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) launched an inquiry to determine the cause of the collision. However, the damaged aircraft remained parked at one of the airport's bays until its recent relocation to the IAF area.