Monkeys on runway force a flight to abort take-off in India

An IndiGo flight bound for Raipur was forced to abort its take-off at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport after a group of monkeys was spotted crossing the runway, officials said on Friday.

According to airport sources, flight 6E 6521, carrying around 150 passengers, had begun its take-off roll at approximately 9am on Thursday. The aircraft had covered nearly 20 to 30 per cent of the runway when the pilots observed monkeys moving across the tarmac. Acting swiftly, the crew aborted the take-off in line with safety protocols and immediately alerted air traffic control.

The aircraft was subsequently guided back to the bay. Officials confirmed that the flight departed about an hour later after undergoing refuelling. A considerable amount of fuel had been consumed during the aborted take-off, making it necessary to replenish before the aircraft could resume its journey. The incident also caused delays and had a ripple effect on the departure schedules of other flights operating from the airport.

Sources further revealed that approximately 10 minutes prior to the incident, an Air India Express flight that had just landed had alerted authorities about the presence of monkeys near the runway. Despite the warning, the IndiGo flight was cleared for departure shortly afterwards but was forced to halt due to the animals on the runway.

Following the disruption, the airport’s wildlife management team responded in accordance with standard operating procedures. The runway was cleared, and normal flight operations resumed shortly thereafter.

Officials believe the monkeys may have strayed into the airport premises from nearby orchards located in Rahimabad village, adjacent to the Amausi area where the airport is situated. While such incidents are uncommon, authorities acknowledged that wildlife intrusions remain a challenge for airports located near open or semi-rural surroundings.

“Instances of flight disruption due to monkeys are rare. Bird-related hazards are far more common, although they are often difficult to control,” an official said.

Aviation experts emphasised that while aborted take-offs can lead to additional fuel consumption and operational delays, there was no safety risk in this case. They noted that the pilots’ prompt decision to abort the take-off ensured passenger safety and prevented any potential hazard.