An Air India flight from Chennai was diverted to Navi Mumbai International Airport on Monday after aborting its landing at Mumbai airport and reaching its minimum diversion fuel level, with passengers offered the option of continuing their journey by road.
Flight AI640 departed Chennai at about 11.20am and reached the Mumbai region roughly 90 minutes later. According to Flightradar24 data cited in the report, the aircraft entered a holding pattern, completed one orbit near Raigad and then approached Mumbai airport. It descended to about 725 feet before carrying out a missed approach.
The aircraft subsequently climbed and flew to Navi Mumbai International Airport, where it landed approximately 25 minutes later. The pilots reportedly cited “minimum diversion fuel”, or MDF, as the reason for proceeding to the alternative airport.
In aviation operations, an alternative airport is the pre-designated backup airport used when landing at the intended destination becomes inadvisable. When an aircraft reaches its MDF point, pilots are required to divert so that the aircraft can land while retaining the mandatory final fuel reserve.
The diversion followed a reported bird hit involving IndiGo flight 6E 6523 from Mangaluru, which had landed at Mumbai airport earlier. Sources cited in the report said the incident led to a runway inspection for possible foreign object debris. Such inspections are generally carried out after a bird strike, and the inspection delay may have affected the arriving aircraft’s ability to land during its available fuel window.
The report said AI640 had completed one holding orbit and one missed approach when it reached the MDF level. Another aircraft that approached Mumbai airport before the Air India flight also reportedly carried out a missed approach, but returned to land after holding.
The IndiGo bird-hit incident was described by sources as minor, and the aircraft was reportedly cleared to operate further flights soon afterwards. The Air India aircraft remained at NMIA for about six hours. Passengers were given the option of disembarking there and completing their journey to Mumbai by road. The aircraft later departed Navi Mumbai and landed at its scheduled destination, Mumbai airport.
The incident highlights the operational role of Navi Mumbai International Airport as an alternative airport for flights unable to land at Mumbai. Air India did not comment on the diversion, according to the report.
