Indigo pilot diverts Tirupati bound plane to Bengaluru to avert runway accident

Tirupati: An Indigo flight with 75 passengers and crew members onboard had a last minute escape on Sunday (July 19, 2020) morning when the pilot spotted a fire engine overturned on the runway at the Tirupati International airport and diverted the flight to Bangalore Airport.

The fire engine was on its way to a general inspection as part of its regular routine when the accident took place. The vehicle met with an accident on the runway at the time when the Hyderabad-Tirupati-Bangalore flight of Indigo Airlines was supposed to land at Tirupati for 41 passengers bound for Tirupati.

The pilot spotted the interruption at the runway and managed to divert the flight to Bangalore instead of landing at Tirupati. The passengers escaped safely and managed to avert what could have been a major mishap. Flights on this section are running late by atleast 3 hours. 

Speaking to Zee News on the incident, Tirupati Airport Director Suresh said, "The fire engine has been removed and now air traffic is clear. Due to the incident, landing and takeoff was interrupted for more than 3 to 4 hours," he said, adding "all are safe."