Late on Friday night, the Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed that the runway at Pune airport had been temporarily closed following an incident involving one of its aircraft. While the IAF noted that the aircrew are safe and no damage was caused to civil property, the closure has caused an immediate halt to flight operations. In a brief statement shared on social media, the force clarified that teams are currently working to clear the site and operationalise the runway as quickly as possible.
Because Pune functions on a dual-use model — where civilian commercial flights share a single runway with an active Air Force station — any disruption to military activity has an immediate knock-on effect for passenger travel. Local police sources indicated that the aircraft involved experienced a "hard landing," though specific details regarding the cause remain scarce.
Airport authorities provided further technical context, reporting that at approximately 22:25, a fighter jet suffered an undercarriage failure upon landing. The malfunction left the aircraft stationary on the runway, making it impossible for other planes to take off or land. According to the IAF Air Traffic Control, it is expected to take between four and five hours to move the aircraft and restore the strip to its normal state.
Murlidhar Mohol, the Union Minister of State for Aviation, also confirmed the suspension of services via a post on X. He reassured the public that he is in constant dialogue with both the Airport Director and Air Force officials to monitor the recovery process. While airlines have been notified of the delays, the Minister reiterated that the primary focus remains on safety and the swift resumption of scheduled flights.
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