An IndiGo A321 flying from Guwahati to Bengaluru suffered a tail strike during its second landing attempt at Kempegowda International Airport on Sunday, after gusty weather conditions affected the approach, according to the airline and sources cited by PTI.
IndiGo described the incident as “abnormal runway contact” while the aircraft was landing. All passengers and crew members were reported safe and disembarked from the aircraft without incident, the airline said in a statement.
The aircraft is now undergoing maintenance checks. IndiGo said it would resume operations only after securing the necessary clearances, indicating that the aircraft will remain out of service until the required technical inspections and approvals are completed.
The incident occurred during the flight’s second landing attempt. A tail strike happens when the rear underside of an aircraft makes contact with the runway during take-off or landing. The airline’s statement linked Sunday’s abnormal runway contact to gusty weather conditions but did not provide further details about the aircraft’s approach, speed, wind conditions or the extent of any damage.
The aircraft involved was an Airbus A321, a narrow-body aircraft widely used for domestic and regional operations. IndiGo said all relevant authorities had been informed about the incident. The statement did not identify the authorities involved or specify whether any operational restrictions had been imposed at the airport.
Kempegowda International Airport is Bengaluru’s primary aviation gateway and handles domestic and international passenger traffic. An incident involving an aircraft on landing can require inspection of the aircraft and coordination between the airline, airport operator, air traffic control and aviation-safety authorities before the aircraft is cleared for further service.
The airline said the aircraft would return to operations after the maintenance checks were completed and the necessary clearances were secured. No further information on the flight’s subsequent schedule or the technical findings was provided in the statement.
The incident also brings renewed attention to tail-strike events involving the A321 aircraft type. The report noted that the aircraft had faced a string of tail strikes at different airports in the country in the past, but it did not provide details of those earlier incidents or establish whether they were connected to Sunday’s event.
IndiGo’s next formal update is expected to depend on the outcome of the maintenance inspection and the clearances required before the aircraft can fly again.
