Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) had a tense moment this Monday morning when an Air India flight from Kochi veered off the main runway while landing, all amid heavy monsoon rain.
AI2744 Runway Excursion at Mumbai Airport
Air India flight AI2744, an Airbus A320neo (VT-TYA), departed from Kochi and touched down at Mumbai shortly after 9:25 AM on July 21, during intense rainfall that engulfed the city. As the aircraft attempted to decelerate on Runway 09/27, it lost alignment, skidded onto an unpaved area, and then returned to the taxiway at speed—avoiding the risk of getting stuck in the mud due to the pilot’s quick response.
All passengers and crew disembarked safely, thanks to the professionalism of the operating crew and the swift response of airport emergency teams. Despite sustaining minor damages—including three burst tyres and possible engine exposure to debris—the aircraft was able to taxi to a parking bay under its own power.
The damage does look bad on the plane, though. And it won’t go away with buffing.
Engine Nacelle Damage to VT-TYA (Source: X.com)
Engine Cowling Damage to VT-TYA (Source: X.com)
It is being reported that three tyres burst on landing.
Burst tyre on VT-TYA
Impact on Airport Operations
The runway excursion caused minor damage to the main runway surface. CSMIA responded by promptly shutting down Runway 09/27 for inspection and repairs, activating the secondary Runway 14/32 to maintain flight operations. As Mumbai routinely operates with only one active runway due to its unique layout, even minor incidents can ripple through the entire airside schedule. They later issued a statement,
An incoming aircraft from Kochi experienced a runway excursion at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), Mumbai at 09.27 hours on 21 July 2025. CSMIA’s emergency response teams were immediately activated to manage the runway excursion. All passengers and crew are safe.
There are minor damages reported to the airport’s primary runway – 09/27. In order to ensure continuity of operations, the Secondary Runway 14/32 – has been activated.
At CSMIA, safety always remains our highest priority.
The runway is back in operation after a short shutdown.
Weather and Contributing Factors
The incident coincided with the return of heavy monsoon rainfall to Mumbai, which had already led to waterlogging and reductions in visibility across the city. Wet and slippery runway conditions during intense rain are known factors in increasing the risk of runway excursions—a challenge faced by Mumbai airport nearly every monsoon season. I still think of the SpiceJet 737 Runway excursion in 2019 at Mumbai Airport, which took days to fix.
Bottomline
AI2744, operating from Kochi to Mumbai today on an Airbus A320neo registered VT-TYA, suffered a runway excursion today when it arrived at Mumbai amongst heavy rains. The aircraft managed to navigate out of the mud and reach the gate on its power, though, and is now grounded for inspections and repairs. All the passengers are safe. The runway 09/27 was shut and has now resumed operations.
Hats off to the crew for presence of mind and quick reaction.
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