Air India flight skids off runway at Mumbai Airport amid heavy rains; passengers safe

Mumbai: An Air India flight from Kochi to Mumbai Airport overshot the runway while landing at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Monday morning due to heavy rainfall, according to Indian media outlets.

Fortunately, the aircraft’s pilots managed to taxi safely to the gate, and all passengers and crew onboard disembarked without any injuries.

In an official statement, an Air India spokesperson shared on X, “Flight AI2744, operating from Kochi to Mumbai on July 21, 2025, experienced heavy rain during landing, resulting in a runway excursion after touchdown. The aircraft taxied safely to the gate, and all passengers and crew members have since disembarked.”

The aircraft has been grounded for a detailed inspection, and a team from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is currently assessing the situation, the airline spokesperson explained.

Mumbai International Airport also issued an advisory for passengers departing from the hub due to the heavy rains. “Given the heavy rain forecast in Mumbai, passengers are advised to check their flight status with their respective airlines and allow extra travel time to reach the airport,” the tweet read.

Meanwhile, a CSMIA spokesperson said in a statement: “An incoming aircraft from Kochi experienced a runway excursion at CSMIA, Mumbai at 9.27 hours on July 21.”

“CSMIA’s emergency response teams were immediately activated to manage the runaway 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,” the spokesperson added.

In the weeks following the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad, which claimed the lives of 241 people, India’s national carrier has seen a noticeable uptick in technical issues, emergency landings, and flight cancellations — sparking concern among travellers and aviation observers.

On Sunday, Air India Express flight IX110 from Hyderabad to Phuket turned back after just 16 minutes in the air due to a similar technical issue. While passengers and crew landed safely, the incident was among several return-to-origin cases logged by the airline this past month alone, and it adds to a growing list of recent operational disruptions.