A potential aviation tragedy was prevented at Patna Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport through a split-second decision. On Monday night, IndiGo Airlines flight 6E-2482, carrying 173 passengers, encountered difficulties during landing due to a short runway. The experienced pilot aborted the landing at the last moment after realising that the safe touchdown zone had been exceeded.
Airport officials stated that the aircraft stumbled while approaching the short runway, prompting the pilot to swiftly take off again and circle four times. After a five-minute manoeuvre, the pilot successfully landed the plane on the second attempt. No injuries were reported, and passengers were calmed with explanations from the crew.
An airline spokesperson emphasised that the pilot strictly followed standard safety procedures and noted that the incident recalled a past tragedy. On July 17, 2000, an Alliance Air aircraft crashed in Patna due to a similar technical issue, resulting in the deaths of 66 people.
