Air India jet veers off runway amid rainfall; grounded

An Air India flight from Kochi veered off the main runway while landing in heavy rain at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on Monday morning. While no passengers or crew were injured, the incident led to grounding of the aircraft.

- Neha LM Tripathi

A statement from CSMIA read, “An incoming aircraft from Kochi experienced a runway excursion at..Mumbai at 09.27 hours on 21 July 2025... All passengers and crew are safe.”

The airport also stated, “ There are minor damages reported to the airport's primary runway - 09/27. In order to ensure continuity of operations, the Secondary Runway 14/32 - has been activated...

The incident took place on runway 27 causing disruption in flight operations, airport officials said.

According to officials, three tyres of the aircraft burst, and the engine was also damaged during the incident.

“The engine sucked up a lot of mud and grass after getting into the mud,” one of the officials said. “Runway 27 was unavailable for two and a half hours as runway signages and edge lights were damaged due to the incident,” the official said. “ A lot of engine cowling (protective outer covering of an aircraft's engine that reduces drag and shields the engine components) was found near the runway,” he added.