An Air India spokesperson stated on Friday that they have initiated an investigation after one of its Delhi-bound aircraft suffered damage due to a collision with a tug truck while taxiing towards the runway at Pune Airport.
The mishap occurred on Thursday as the aircraft was preparing to depart from Pune at 4pm. The aircraft, with 180 passengers on board, sustained damage to its nose and a tyre near the landing gear. Consequently, the flight was delayed and the passengers were deplaned.
The Air India spokesperson mentioned, "There was an incident related to one of our aircraft, which was to operate from Pune to Delhi, at the time of its pushback. The aircraft was held back for checks, all passengers were offloaded safely, and the flight was cancelled."
"Passengers were eventually refunded their full fares and offered complimentary rescheduling. Those with onward international connections were flown to Delhi by other carriers. An investigation into the incident has already been initiated," the spokesperson added.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also launched an inquiry to determine the cause of the collision. Preliminary reports suggest that the tug truck, used for manoeuvring the aircraft on the ground, struck the plane during the taxiing process. The DGCA's investigation is said to focus on operational protocols and possible lapses that led to the incident.
Recounting the ordeal, a passenger told TOI that they were seated in the aircraft for over an hour before being instructed to disembark. He added that there was no communication from the crew during that time. "After the extended wait, the pilot eventually informed us that the aircraft had collided with a luggage trolley and could not proceed. Subsequently, we were told to deplane and were escorted back to the terminal," he said.
The passenger further stated that the entire check-in and security process was repeated as they boarded another plane, which departed at 9:56pm. "We were provided with water and snacks around 8 pm," he said.
This incident follows a similar occurrence last Friday when a ladder belonging to IndiGo collided with a chartered aircraft carrying Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma during his election campaign in Pune.
(With ANI and IANS inputs)
