Kolkata, November 12, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A potential aviation mishap was averted at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on Thursday after a pilot spotted a stray dog on the runway, prompting Air Traffic Control (ATC) to divert an incoming flight from Chennai to Andal airport in West Burdwan district.
According to airport officials, an IndiGo flight scheduled to travel from Kolkata to Ranchi was preparing for take-off on Wednesday when its pilot noticed a stray dog roaming on the runway. The pilot immediately alerted Kolkata ATC about the potential safety risk.
At the same time, another IndiGo flight from Chennai was approaching Kolkata for landing. After receiving the alert, ATC officials decided not to allow the aircraft to land and instructed it to divert to an alternative airport.
Following the instructions, the Chennai flight safely landed at Andal Airport, around 187 kilometres from Kolkata. All passengers remained safe.
The incident has raised concerns over runway security at NSCBI Airport. Airport authorities are investigating how a stray dog managed to enter the highly restricted runway area.
The incident comes a day after a hijack threat was reported involving an Air India flight at Kolkata airport. Police arrested a passenger from Sodepur in North 24 Parganas district in connection with the threat.
According to reports, the passenger allegedly fabricated the hijack threat to avoid travelling to an African country for work, as he did not want to leave his cancer-stricken wife behind. He was subsequently arrested.
FOLLOW NOW
