Summary of this article
An Indian Air Force fighter aircraft suffered undercarriage failure during landing around 10:25 PM on April 17, 2026, blocking Pune’s single runway and halting all civilian and military flight operations.
The IAF confirmed the aircrew is safe with no damage to civil infrastructure; efforts are underway to clear the runway, with normal operations expected to resume in approximately five hours.
Passengers faced delays and cancellations at Pune International Airport (PNQ), one of India’s busiest shared civil-military airfields.
Flight operations at Pune International Airport came to a sudden halt late Friday night after an Indian Air Force aircraft experienced a technical snag while landing, forcing the temporary closure of the airport’s sole runway.
According to airport and IAF authorities, the incident occurred around 10:25 PM when the fighter jet suffered an undercarriage failure during landing. The aircraft came to a stop on the runway, blocking it completely and triggering an immediate suspension of all arrivals and departures.
The Indian Air Force’s Media Coordination Centre issued an official statement shortly after midnight: “Pune runway is temporarily unavailable due to an incident involving an IAF aircraft. The aircrew are safe and there is no damage to civil property. Efforts are under way to operationalise the runway and resume normal operations at the earliest.”
A police officer at the scene described the event as a “hard landing,” while airport sources confirmed it was due to undercarriage failure that left the aircraft obstructing the runway.
Pune’s Lohegaon Airport operates as a dual-use facility, with the IAF managing the runway and the Airports Authority of India handling civilian traffic. The closure affected dozens of late-night and early-morning flights, causing widespread inconvenience to passengers. Several flights were delayed or diverted, while outgoing flights remained grounded until the runway could be cleared.
Authorities indicated that the runway clearance and safety checks would take around four to five hours. As of early Saturday morning, operations were still suspended, but the IAF assured that normal service would be restored at the earliest.
No injuries were reported, and the incident did not cause any damage to civilian property or infrastructure. The IAF has not yet released details about the specific aircraft involved or the exact nature of the technical fault.
This is the latest in a series of brief runway disruptions at Pune due to IAF operations, though such incidents remain rare. Passengers have been advised to check with their airlines for updated flight schedules.
The development comes amid growing air traffic at Pune, which has seen record passenger numbers in recent months. Airport officials are coordinating with airlines to minimise passenger inconvenience once the runway reopens.
