The Indian Air Force (IAF) said late Friday night that the runway at Pune airport was temporarily unavailable following an incident involving one of its aircraft, disrupting both inbound and outbound commercial flight operations. According to initial information, the incident involved a fighter aircraft that reportedly experienced a hard landing.

In a statement, the IAF confirmed that the situation occurred during a routine night flying sortie and assured that the aircrew involved were safe.

“Pune runway is temporarily unavailable due to an incident involving an IAF aircraft. The aircrew are safe and there is no damage to civil property. Efforts are underway to operationalise the runway and resume normal operations at the earliest,” the IAF said.

Airport and police sources indicated that the aircraft may have suffered an undercarriage failure upon touchdown, leading to the blockage of the runway. However, detailed technical specifics have not yet been officially disclosed.

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Published On:

Apr 18, 2026 07:11 IST