An Air India flight and an IndiGo flight were involved in a minor ground collision on Tuesday evening at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.
The incident occurred as Air India flight AI 2732 (Mumbai–Coimbatore) was pushing back for departure, just as IndiGo flight 6E 791 (Hyderabad–Mumbai) was taxiing after landing.
Here’s a blow-by-blow account of what happened
- On Tuesday evening, a mishap was narrowly averted at Mumbai Airport when the right wingtips of two aircraft brushed against each other.
- Air India aircraft AI 2732 was departing for Coimbatore while Indigo aircraft 6E 791 was coming in from Hyderabad to Mumbai.
- The accident happened at around 7.30 pm on Tuesday.
- Both aircraft were A320s. While the Air India plane was taxiing out, the Indigo arrival flight was taxiing in. Both returned to the bay for inspections, earlier HT reported.
- Following the incident, the Mumbai division of the DGCA was informed. Officials arrived at the spot and began probing.
Air India’s response
An Air India spokesperson said, “Flight AI2732, operating from Mumbai to Coimbatore, was delayed after the aircraft scheduled to operate the service came into contact with another airline’s aircraft while waiting on the taxiway prior to take-off. The wingtips of the two aircraft made contact, resulting in damage to our aircraft’s wingtip.”
The spokesperson said that as a precautionary measure, the aircraft had been grounded for further technical checks. “All passengers have safely disembarked, and our ground teams are making alternative arrangements to fly them to their destination at the earliest,” he added. “The incident has been reported to the regulator.”
Indigo’s response
The Indigo spokesperson too confirmed the incident. “All the passengers are safe and disembarked after parking,” he said. “The aircraft is undergoing maintenance inspections. In line with established protocols, the relevant authorities were promptly informed and the matter is being investigated.”
(With inputs from HT correspondent)