June 9th 2024.
A recent incident at Mumbai airport has raised concerns as an IndiGo plane landed on the same runway as an Air India aircraft took off, with just a minute's gap between the two events. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is currently investigating the matter, and the Air Traffic Controller responsible for the incident has been temporarily taken off duty. IndiGo has also launched their own probe into the incident.
A video of the incident has been making rounds on social media, showing the two planes using the same runway. A DGCA official stated that they are conducting a thorough investigation and have already taken action by removing the involved ATC from duty. Mumbai airport is known for its single-runway operation, with two crossing runways. On a single runway at this airport, there are approximately 46 arrivals and departures per hour.
IndiGo has confirmed that their flight from Indore, 6E 6053, was given clearance to land by the ATC at Mumbai airport. The pilot followed all instructions and continued with the approach and landing as directed. The safety of their passengers is of utmost importance to IndiGo, and they have reported the incident according to protocol.
According to sources at the Airports Authority of India, it is standard procedure for departing aircraft to cross the end of the runway or make a turn before the ATC can give clearance for arriving aircraft to land. However, it is alleged that this protocol was not followed in this particular incident. The Mumbai airport is a high-density airport, meaning that there is a high volume of flight movements. This particular runway has an average of 46 arrivals and departures per hour.
Sources also revealed that ATCs are allowed to clear up to two arrivals and two departures within a three-minute window, with certain conditions in place. In good visibility, the separation between two aircraft can be reduced, as long as all safety measures are followed. The source clarified that in this case, the visibility was good and there was no danger of the two planes coming too close to each other.
The video of the incident shows that the departing plane had already crossed the V2 speed, which is the minimum speed required for a safe climb with just one engine operating. At the same time, the arriving plane was touching down on the other end of the runway. The source explained that in such situations, the tower controller can reduce the separation between two planes if they have a clear visual of both aircraft and are confident of maintaining safety.
The source also acknowledged the immense pressure on ATCs during high-density traffic periods at airports. The safety of the aircraft and passengers is their top priority, and the DGCA's investigation will look into whether all protocols were followed by both the ATC and the pilots involved.
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