Mumbai airport's main runway reopens after 4 days

The Mumbai airport on Friday evening announced the resumption of operations at its sole main runway, which was shut since late Monday night after a Spicejet plane skidded off upon landing amidst heavy rains and veered off to the grassy area between the main runway and taxiway.

The operations from the main runway of the country's second busiest airport was restored Friday evening, the Mumbai airport official said on Friday evening.

The aircraft-Boeing 737 operated by Spicejet, was finally cleared from the main runway (09/27) at 1541 hrs, paving the way for resumption of operations, an airport spokesperson said, adding subsequently, the services from the main runway resumed from 1647 hrs.

The Boeing 737 aircraft, which was stuck between the main runway and grassy area after skidded off on arrival at the airport late Monday night, was pulled back to the runway late Thursday night, paving the way for full-fledged operations at the aerodrome, officials said. The aircraft was towed away to the hangar earlier in the day.

The closure of the single main runway had lead to over 300 flight delays/cancellations since Monday late night at the nation's second busiest airport handling close to 1,000 flight movements a day.

The airport was carrying out operations from the secondary runway, which has a capacity to handle only up to 35 aircraft movement per hour as against 48 of the main runway.

The stranded plane was towed away by team of Air India Engineering Services, who were on the job since Tuesday.

"The disabled SpiceJet aircraft which was stuck in Runway 09/27 RESA (runway end surface area) has been pulled out of the runway surface at 11.10 pm last night," a Mumbai airport spokesperson said on Friday morning.

The runway end surface area is an extended space at the end of the runway to limit an aircraft in the eventuality of a runway over-shoots.

A SpiceJet flight from Jaipur carrying 167 passengers and crew overshot the runway late Monday night after landing amid heavy rains, blocking it for traffic.