Air India Express Aborts Landing at Bengaluru After Foreign Object Found on Runway

An Air India Express flight travelling from Goa was forced to abort its landing at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru on Saturday after air traffic control spotted a foreign object on the runway. The Hindu reports that the aircraft made a safe landing shortly afterwards.

Foreign object debris on a runway represents a serious hazard. Even small items can cause catastrophic damage to aircraft engines, tyres or airframes, and controllers are trained to act quickly when anything is detected on a live runway surface.

What Happened to the Air India Express Flight at KIA

According to The Hindu, the flight was scheduled to land at KIA at 8.10 p.m. local time. ATC officials noticed the foreign object on the runway and instructed the pilots to make a turnaround before the aircraft reached the threshold.

The go-around was completed without incident. After the object was dealt with, the aircraft returned and made a safe landing at the airport, sources told The Hindu.

What the Object Was

Officials did not confirm the nature of the foreign object. The Hindu notes that sources declined to specify whether the object was an animal, which suggests a wildlife incursion had not been ruled out at the time of reporting.

Airport operators routinely carry out foreign object debris inspections before and after movements, but objects can appear on a runway at any point during operations.

Why Go-Arounds of This Kind Matter

A go-around is always the correct procedure when a runway is not clear, and ATC acted within standard protocols by instructing the crew to abort the approach. The swift response meant the aircraft was never in a position to land on a contaminated surface.

Incidents of this type are tracked as part of broader runway safety programmes across the world. For incident reports and live emergency updates from across the industry, our Squawk 7700 hub covers the latest developments as they happen.

Runway incursions and debris events are not uncommon at busy airports. Earlier this year, we covered the Air India Express route network as the carrier continues to expand its domestic operations across India.

The Bottom Line

The prompt action by ATC at Kempegowda International Airport ensured no harm came to the Air India Express flight or its passengers. The go-around was completed correctly and the aircraft landed safely, making this a textbook example of the system working as intended.

Details about the nature of the foreign object have not been released publicly. We will update our coverage if Air India Express or the airport authority release further information.

You can find out more about Air India Express and its network using our Airline Search tool.

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