DELHI: An Afghan airline flight landed on the wrong runway at Delhi Airport on Monday, narrowly avoiding a major accident. Aviation experts say the incident highlights serious safety risks.
The Airbus A310, operating as flight FG 311, was cleared by air traffic control (ATC) to land on runway 29 L. However, the pilot mistakenly landed on runway 29 R, normally used for take-offs.
The pilot reported losing the Instrument Landing System (ILS) signal during landing. Reduced visibility forced the crew to rely on visual cues, causing the aircraft to veer to the right.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation. Officials aim to determine whether pilot error, low visibility, or technical issues caused the wrong-runway landing.
No other aircraft were taking off or landing at the time. Authorities confirmed there was no collision, preventing potential major damage.
It is pertinent to mention here that an Indian Air Force fighter jet, developed over four decades, crashed during the Dubai Airshow days earlier. The incident has raised fresh concerns over India’s efforts to promote its indigenous defence capabilities on the global stage.
The Dubai Airshow 2025, one of the world’s largest aviation events, hosted around 150,000 attendees and more than 1,500 companies, according to the event’s official website.
