A potential disaster was narrowly avoided at Patna's Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport on Tuesday when an IndiGo flight from Delhi aborted its landing. IndiGo flight 6E 2482, en route from Delhi to Patna, was in the process of landing when it overshot the designated touchdown point on the runway. The pilot swiftly aborted the landing and executed a go-around maneuver, successfully pulling the aircraft back into the air.
The incident occurred at approximately 9 pm, causing anxiety among the 173 passengers on board. According to sources at the airport, the aircraft's wheels had already made contact with the runway before the pilot decided to abort the landing. The relatively short runway at Patna Airport, measuring just over 2,070 meters, prompted the pilot's precautionary decision.
Passengers reported feeling anxious during the mid-air maneuver, which lasted for nearly five minutes. A crew member reassured passengers that the go-around was due to "technical reasons" and assured them of a safe landing. The aircraft circled the airport two to three times before successfully landing. All 174 passengers and crew members were reported safe, with no injuries or damage.
This incident has brought renewed attention to the infrastructure limitations at Patna Airport. The current runway length is shorter than modern safety standards, especially for larger aircraft. Authorities are working to extend the runway by 1,584.96 meters, bringing the total length to 3,657.6 meters. The upgrade has become more urgent after a recent advisory by the central government following a runway overrun incident in Ahmedabad. The directive emphasizes the need for enhanced runway safety and upgrades at airports nationwide.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been notified, and a detailed investigation is expected to determine the exact cause behind the aborted landing. The investigation will consider factors such as human error, wind conditions, and operational limitations. This is the second incident reported at Patna Airport in recent days, raising concerns about the safety infrastructure and operational challenges at the airport.
In a separate incident on July 9, 2025, a Delhi-bound IndiGo flight from Patna made an emergency landing after a bird strike. Flight 6E509, carrying 169 passengers, landed safely at Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport after experiencing engine vibrations. A runway inspection revealed the remains of a bird, confirming the strike. The aircraft is undergoing inspection, and alternate travel arrangements are being made for the passengers.
