Scare for Pranab jet as pigs invade runway

In a serious safety breach, the Nagpur airport runway was intruded by a drove of pigs when President Pranab Mukherjee's jumbo Boeing 737 was taxiing towards the runway after landing on Monday, prompting the civil aviation ministry to seek a report.

Sources said aviation regulator DGCA has launched a probe into the incident.

"Around eight pigs somehow made their way into the runway when the President's aircraft was taxing towards the terminal building after landing. The DGCA has taken a serious view of this breach of safety and security and has started investigation into the incident," a source said.

A DGCA official from the western region is conducting the probe.

Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajpathy Raju has said that the incident apparently happened due to heavy rains and asserted that runway safety was important.

"What had happened, it seems, there were some heavy rains and some wall collapsed. Something like this did happen. We have asked people to look into it, restore it," Raju told reporters in New Delhi.

"We can't have animals on the runway. Runways safety is important," he added.