Sukhoi-30MKI Emergency Landing Shuts Down Pune Airport

An Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet forced an emergency closure of Pune International Airport late Friday night after a technical failure during landing.

The incident occurred at approximately 11:41 PM when the twin-engine fighter, belonging to the Lohegaon-based 20 Squadron, experienced a suspected undercarriage malfunction. The pilots were forced to deploy the emergency arrester barrier to bring the heavy fighter to a halt, effectively blocking the runway for all civilian traffic.

Runway declared “temporarily unavailable” as IAF recovery teams work to tow the aircraft and clear the arrester cables. Eight inbound commercial flights have been rerouted to Surat, Mopa (Goa), and Navi Mumbai. The IAF has confirmed both pilots are uninjured and safe.

Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol confirmed that restoration efforts are underway “on a war footing,” with operations expected to resume after a thorough safety inspection of the tarmac.