A major aviation accident was narrowly averted at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on Tuesday night after an Air India aircraft and an Air India Express flight found themselves on the same runway during active operations.

The incident occurred at around 10 pm, when an Air India flight bound for Delhi had already begun its take-off run while an Air India Express aircraft arriving from Siliguri was still in the process of vacating the runway. Prompt intervention by Air Traffic Control (ATC) ensured the take-off was aborted in time, preventing a potentially serious accident.

ATC Orders Immediate Abort

According to airline officials, the Air India Express aircraft had landed safely but had not completely cleared the runway when the Delhi-bound Air India Flight AI816 received clearance to commence its take-off roll.

As the situation became apparent, ATC immediately instructed the Air India pilots to abort the take-off. The flight crew complied without delay, bringing the aircraft to a safe stop before it reached flying speed.

Following the aborted take-off, the aircraft returned to the parking bay for mandatory technical inspections in accordance with standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Airline Assures Passenger Safety

Air India confirmed that passenger safety remained its highest priority and said the aircraft would undergo comprehensive safety checks before returning to service.

The airline also stated that alternative travel arrangements had been made for affected passengers. However, it did not disclose the number of passengers on board either aircraft.

Authorities have initiated an investigation to determine how both aircraft came to occupy the operational runway simultaneously.

Understanding a Take-Off Run

A take-off run is the critical phase during which an aircraft accelerates along the runway before lifting off. If any hazard is detected during this stage, pilots can perform a rejected take-off, bringing the aircraft safely to a halt before take-off speed is reached.

Such decisions require rapid coordination between pilots and air traffic controllers and are considered essential safety procedures in commercial aviation.

Mumbai Airport Operates Under Heavy Traffic

Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is India's second-busiest airport after Delhi and handles one of the highest aircraft movement volumes in the world.

The airport records more than 950 take-offs and landings daily, with flight movements crossing 1,000 operations on particularly busy days. In November 2025, the airport registered a record 1,036 aircraft movements within 24 hours.

Although Mumbai has two physical runways, they intersect each other, meaning only one runway can generally be used for active operations at a time. This makes air traffic management particularly challenging and demands precise coordination between ATC and flight crews.

Similar Incident Reported Earlier

The latest incident comes just weeks after another runway safety scare at Ahmedabad Airport, where an Air India aircraft and an IndiGo flight reportedly came face-to-face on the same taxiway.

In that case, both aircraft were stopped before they could come dangerously close, with officials reporting that they were separated by roughly 200 metres before corrective action was taken.

The recurrence of such incidents has once again highlighted the importance of strict runway management, timely ATC intervention and adherence to aviation safety protocols at India's busiest airports.