Dog spotted on Pune runway, flight to Jaipur aborts take-off at last second

Dog on runway forces Air India express flight to abort take-off in Pune (AI mage used for representational purpose only).

PUNE: Over 120 passengers aboard a Jaipur-bound Air India Express flight experienced a harrowing ordeal on Friday afternoon when the aircraft was forced to abort its take-off at the last moment due to a stray dog on the runway.Flight IX-2458, scheduled for a 3:15pm departure, was at the peak of its take-off roll when the pilot slammed the brakes following an urgent alert from air traffic control (ATC). The sudden deceleration left passengers jolted and terrified before the aircraft eventually departed nearly 100 minutes later.

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Bavdhan resident Aashish Bakhle, who was travelling with his wife, described the moment the cabin turned from routine to chaotic.

“The flight was nearly full. We had taxied to the runway and were accelerating rapidly. Just as we expected to lift off, the pilot applied the brakes with massive force. There was a violent jerk and loud noises; everyone on board was terrified,” Bakhle told TOI.Seated in 16E and 16F, Bakhle said many feared the worst. “We thought it was a mechanical failure or an engine fire. The pilot later announced that take-off was aborted because ATC spotted a dog on the runway.

From what we could gauge, we were at almost full take-off speed when the aircraft came to a halt.”Following the incident, the aircraft taxied back to a parking bay for a mandatory technical inspection. After engineers cleared the plane for flight, it finally took off at approximately 4.55pm.When contacted, an Air India Express spokesperson did not offer a comment. Pune airport director Santosh Dhoke noted that the runway and ATC operations are managed by the Indian Air Force (IAF), referring all queries to defence authorities.

A message sent to the defence spokesperson also remained unanswered.Friday’s incident is the latest in a string of wildlife-related disruptions at Pune’s Lohegaon Airport. On June 28 this year, an Air India Express flight from Bhubaneswar had to perform a ‘go-around’ after dogs were seen on the runway. On June 2025, a Delhi-Pune flight suffered a bird strike during landing.In Feb 2023, a stray dog was killed after being hit by a taxiing SpiceJet aircraft.Airport authorities have previously stated they are working with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to improve garbage management in the surrounding areas, as waste is known to attract stray animals and birds to the airfield.Aviation analyst Dhairyashil Vandekar termed the incident a grave safety concern. “The recurrence of these incursions proves that the measures currently taken by the Airports Authority of India, the IAF, and the PMC are inadequate. A runway incursion at high speed is a significant threat to life. These agencies must implement a joint, sustained strategy to secure the airside once and for all,” Vandekar said.