IndiGo Near-Miss: Is Patna Airport Runway Too Short For Modern Planes?

News18

16-07-2025

Last Updated:
Patna Airport's short runway raises serious safety concerns as experts question if it's adequate for larger aircraft, putting every landing and passenger at potential risk
On Tuesday evening, a serious incident was narrowly averted at Patna's Jai Prakash Narayan International Airport. IndiGo Airlines flight 6E-2482 from Delhi, operating an Airbus A320-271N, overshot the runway upon landing around 8:50 pm. The near-miss has raised renewed concerns over the airport's runway length and its suitability for narrow-body jets like the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, let alone larger aircraft.
While the official length of Patna Airport's runway is 2,072 metres, its effective usable length varies significantly based on approach direction. Aircraft landing from the eastern end have 1,954 metres available, whereas landings from the west are restricted to just 1,677 metres. This significantly limits the types of aircraft that can safely operate at the airport.
A senior commercial airline captain noted that while narrow-body aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 can operate under normal conditions, landings on a wet or compromised runway require heightened caution.
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines, a minimum runway length of 2,300 metres is recommended for safe landings of aircraft routinely operating at Patna, including:
This gap between recommended and available runway length raises critical questions about operational safety at the airport.
ICAO Standards: How Patna Compares
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) sets global runway specifications based on aircraft size, weight, and weather conditions. According to ICAO norms:
Boeing 787 Dreamliner (8/9 variant) requires 2,500–3,000 metres for takeoff and 1,800–2,200 metres for landing.
Boeing 737 series typically needs 1,900–2,500 metres for takeoff and 1,500–2,000 metres for landing. With a short-field performance kit and reduced load, it can land on shorter runways.
Airbus A320 usually requires 2,100 metres for takeoff and 1,500 metres for landing, but can manage with as little as 1,600–1,700 metres if lightly loaded.
Aircraft Best Suited To Patna's Constraints
Given the limitations, only small to mid-sized aircraft are considered viable for regular operations at Patna Airport. While the A320 and B737 are in use, airlines often restrict weight, either in cargo or passenger capacity, to operate safely.
Aircraft that are particularly well-suited to Patna's shorter runway include:
Airbus A220-100 – requires just 1,500 metres for takeoff and landing.
ATR 72-600 and Dash 8-Q300 – turboprops that comfortably operate on runways of 1,200 to 1,300 metres.
Larger Aircraft Remain Impractical
Deploying wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777, 787, or Airbus A380 at Patna Airport is not feasible under current infrastructure. These aircraft typically require between 2,500 and 3,500 metres of runway for safe operation.
Compounding the issue is Patna's prevailing wind patterns, which further reduce usable runway length—sometimes to just 1,677 metres—making the airport's operational limitations even more pronounced.
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First Published:
July 16, 2025, 14:59 IST
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