Air India plane escapes mishap as it lands on wrong runway in Maldives

NEW DELHI: Pilots' serious mistake could cause a big mishap as an Air India aircraft, carrying more than 135 people,  landed on a wrong runway at the Male's Velana International Airport in the Maldives on Friday.

As per details, the flight, AI 263 was operating on Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram-Male sector, landed at a non-operational runway at the airport in the Maldives, following the incident two pilots have been taken off duty  an inquiry will be conducted by authorities in Maldives and  India to find out how this serious incident took place.

Later, the aircraft was towed to parking bay. A tyre of the main landing gear was reportedly deflated.

This is the second time in just over a month that a flight  operated by an Indian carrier has landed at or tried to take off from a wrong runway at an airport abroad.

Meanwhile, an Air India spokesperson was reported to have said that  the plane landed at an "uncommissioned runway" and that all passengers are safe.

A senior DGCA official said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has been informed since it is a serious incident.