A serious safety breach occurred at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here on Sunday (November 23, 2025) when a flight from Kabul landed on the wrong runway, just after another aircraft took off from there.
According to officials familiar with the matter, the aircraft of the Ariana Afghan Airlines had been cleared to land on runway 29L, which is reserved for arrivals. However, it mistakenly touched down on the adjacent runway 29R, designated only for departures. Air India flight AI-2243 to Riyadh had taken off from the same strip moments earlier, sources said.
In a report submitted to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Ariana pilot stated that a failure in the aircraft’s instrument landing system (ILS) occurred shortly before touchdown. The ILS is a ground-based radio navigation system that provides pilots with guidance for a precise runway approach.
While the pilot confirmed receiving clearance from the Air Traffic Control (ATC) to land on runway 29L, he claimed that the ATC did not alert the crew when the aircraft drifted toward 29R. The DGCA has opened an inquiry to determine whether the lapse stemmed from equipment malfunction, pilot error, or miscommunication with the control tower.
Published – November 24, 2025 07:44 pm IST
