An Air India Airbus A320 has suffered damage to its engine after veering off the runway at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) in India after landing in heavy rain; all passengers disembarked without any injuries.
Air India Flight AI2744
Air India Flight AI2744, an Airbus A320 operating from Kochi to Mumbai veered off the runway during landing as heavy rainfall hit the city of Mumbai. As the plane landed, it skidded across the wet runway, which is also known as aquaplaning or hydroplaning. It occurs when a layer of water builds up between the tyres of an aircraft and the runway surface, meaning that the aircraft loses traction and becomes much more difficult to control. Three of the aircraft’s tyres burst as this occurred, eventually leading to the now unbalanced aircraft leaving the runway. As the aircraft was dragged through unpaved, grassy areas, the right hand engine of the aircraft was dragged across the ground and damaged. The incident comes just over a month after the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad — fortunately, today’s incident did not result in any injuries to the passengers or crew on board.
Statement Following the Crash
A spokesperson for Mumbai Airport confirmed that the runway excursion took place at 09:27 IST. It confirmed that there was minor damage to Runway 09/27, where the aquaplaning occurred, and that a Secondary Runway (14/32) was now in use in order to minimise the impact of the incident on other services. A spokesperson for Air India issued the following statement on their X page following the incident:
“Flight AI2744, operating from Kochi to Mumbai on 21 July 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 checks. The safety of passengers and crew remains our top priority.”
As a result of the heavy rainfall across Mumbai, airlines IndiGo, SpiceJet and Akasa Air have issued travel advisory warnings for passengers travelling from Mumbai. Meteorological data shows thunderstorms, low visibility and heavy rain affecting Runway 09/27 at 09:30 IST, which would have made aquaplaning much more likely.
Has your journey to or from Mumbai faced disruption as a result of adverse weather? Share your experiences in the comments below.
