Kempegowda International Airport’s runway was cleared for landing after a pilot reported what appeared to be a rabbit, prompting an Air Traffic Control instruction for a go-around, Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) has said. The operator confirmed that no animal or foreign object was found during the subsequent runway inspection.
The incident involved Air India Express flight IX 2004, which departed Goa at 6.48pm and reached Bengaluru at about 8pm. The aircraft was approaching the runway when the pilot received instructions from Air Traffic Control to discontinue the landing attempt. The aircraft landed safely a few minutes later after the runway was checked.
According to information reported by the Times of India, the initial ATC communication referred to a foreign object on the runway. BIAL later said the alert originated from an IndiGo pilot who, while landing at around 8pm, believed a rabbit was present on the runway. The differing references to the aircraft involved in the initial alert and the subsequent go-around were part of the account reported about the incident.
A BIAL official said the airport’s apron team inspected the runway and cleared it for landing. “Our apron team checked and cleared for landing following which the next flight landed,” the official told the Times of India. The operator said the runway inspection did not identify even a small foreign object.
BIAL also said the pilot had made an in-flight announcement about the possible presence of an animal while executing the go-around. That announcement contributed to reports and discussion about a rabbit on the runway, although the airport’s inspection did not confirm the presence of one.
A go-around is a standard aviation procedure in which an aircraft abandons an approach and climbs for another landing attempt or further instructions. In this case, the flight completed a safe landing after the runway check, and the airport operator reported no disruption to the subsequent landing operation.
The episode highlights the operational chain involved when a pilot reports a possible runway hazard: air traffic control communicates the alert, airport teams inspect the relevant area, and landing clearance follows only after the runway is assessed. BIAL’s clarification establishes that the reported hazard was not found during the inspection, while the exact circumstances behind the pilot’s initial observation were not detailed in the report.
The airport operator’s runway clearance allowed landing operations to continue after the inspection. No injury, aircraft damage or confirmed runway obstruction was reported in the account.
