Delhi Airport Mishap Averted as ATC Aborts Take-Off

Delhi Airport could have witnessed a major mishap on Wednesday morning as two Vistara airline planes were cleared to take-off and land at the same time. However, it was averted by the ATC which aborted the take-off of the flight UK725 which was going to Bagdogra from Delhi.

The Vistara Delhi-Bagdogra flight was given clearance to take off from the recently inaugurated runway while another Vistara flight coming to Delhi from Ahmedabad, after landing on a parallel runway, was inching closer to the end of the runway.

“Both were given permission at the same time but ATC took control immediately. The ATC (Air Traffic Control) officer on duty asked Vistara flight to abort take-off,” an official, aware of the developments, told ANI.

The Vistara flight taking off for Bagdogra from Delhi returned back from the runway to the parking bay immediately once the abort call was made. The officials inspected the braking system as well as ensured that it had enough fuel to return to Delhi if it faced inclement weather in Bagdogra.

Senior pilot and founder of Safety Matters Foundation, Capt Amit Singh said that flight operations “from closely spaced runways require enhanced monitoring and stricter compliance with SOPs to avoid a potential traffic collision due to the proximity of the flight path”.

However, the potential tragedy was averted at Delhi airport as Air Traffic Control rectified the momentary error. In a concerning incident, a Vistara A-320 was given permission to cross an active runway immediately after landing. When the pilot saw another Vistara aircraft starting its takeoff roll, quick decision-making on their side averted disaster. The pilot quickly notified ATC, which led to the takeoff being cancelled barely in time.