The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is investigating an incident where an IndiGo plane landed while an Air India aircraft took off from the same runway at Mumbai airport within a minute.
The Air Traffic Controller (ATC) on duty during the incident has been derostered, and IndiGo has launched its own inquiry.
A video circulating on social media purportedly shows the planes landing and taking off from the same runway.
"Mumbai airport operates on a single runway with two crossing runways," an official said, noting that there are approximately 46 arrivals and departures per hour on runway RW27.
IndiGo clarified that its flight from Indore, 6E 6053, followed ATC instructions for landing as per normal procedures.
Safety is a priority for IndiGo, and they have reported the incident as per protocol.
According to an Airports Authority of India (AAI) source, departing aircraft are supposed to cross the end of the runway or turn before ATC clears arriving flights to land, a protocol allegedly not followed in this case.
Despite Mumbai airport's high traffic density, with around 46 arrivals and departures per hour, standard procedures allow ATCs to clear multiple arrivals and departures within minutes, provided visibility is good.
The incident occurred with favorable visibility conditions, and there was no immediate safety risk between the landing IndiGo flight and the departing Air India flight.
In the video, it appears that the departing aircraft crossed V2 speed, the safe climb speed with one engine inoperative, while the arriving aircraft touched down.
ATCs face significant pressure during high-density traffic situations, with safety being paramount. The DGCA investigation will scrutinize whether all protocols were followed by both ATC and the pilots involved.
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