Flight Collides With Tug Truck at Pune Airport

There were around 180 passengers?

On Thursday, an Air India flight bound for Delhi collided with a tug truck while taxiing towards the runway at Pune Airport.

At the time of the incident, around 180 passengers were onboard.

"The aircraft, carrying around 180 passengers, suffered damage to its nose and a tire near the landing gear.

Despite the major collision, all passengers and crew on board are safe," an airport official told news agency ANI.

Emergency protocols were taken care of, ensuring the safety of everyone involved.

Airport officials have confirmed the incident and said that "the passengers were immediately deplaned safely and arrangements were made for an alternative flight to Delhi immediately."

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an inquiry to determine the cause of the collision. Preliminary reports suggest that the tug truck, used for manoeuvring the aircraft on the ground, struck the plane during the taxiing process.

The DGCA's investigation will focus on operational protocols and possible lapses that led to the incident.

Airport operations continued without disruption, although the affected aircraft was taken out of service for detailed inspection and repairs for a longer period and is now ready for operations.

The investigation is going on.