Dabolim, Goa: A Vistara flight from Bengaluru to Goa was forced to return to its origin airport on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, after a stray dog was spotted on the runway.
The incident occurred as the flight was approaching Dabolim Airport. The pilot, informed of the situation by air traffic control, opted to return to Bengaluru rather than wait for the runway to be cleared.
According to an airport official, the runway was cleared within a few minutes, but the pilot had already decided to return to Bengaluru in the interest of safety.
The incident caused a temporary diversion of the flight, impacting its schedule. However, all passengers and crew members are safe.
Stray dogs on airport runways are a rare occurrence, but they can pose a serious safety hazard to aircraft. In 2018, a Jet Airways flight was forced to abort landing at Kolkata Airport after a stray dog was spotted on the runway.
Airport authorities have taken steps to prevent stray dogs from entering airport premises, such as building perimeter walls and installing fences. However, more needs to be done to address the issue of stray dogs in India.
