The occurrence transpired at Dabolim airport, situated in the South Goa district, encompassed the naval base INS Hansa.
On Tuesday afternoon, a MiG-29K fighter aircraft of the Indian Navy encountered a tyre burst on the taxiway just before its scheduled routine sortie, as reported by officials. Despite the tyre burst, the aircraft, operated by a single pilot, became stranded on the taxiway, fortunately without any injuries reported. Consequently, the authorities opted to temporarily close the airport's runway until 4 pm, thereby impacting the services of passenger flights.
Upon detection of the tyre burst while the aircraft was positioned on the taxiway in preparation for its routine sortie, immediate action was initiated, involving the deployment of the fire brigade and other relevant services, according to a spokesperson from the navy. The spokesperson emphasized that the single-pilot aircraft would be relocated from the taxiway, although the precise timing of the incident was not specified in the official statement.
Dabolim airport, integral to the naval base INS Hansa in the South Goa district, serves as a crucial facility utilized by naval aircraft during specific periods of the day. Due to the incident, the closure of the airport's runway until 4 pm ensued, leading to the disruption of services for 10 flights. Consequently, certain flights were redirected to the Manohar International Airport at Mopa, as confirmed by Dabolim Airport's director, S V T Dhanamjaya.
