Stray Dog Invades Goa Airport Runway, Forcing Vistara Flight To Return To Bengaluru

A senior official stated Tuesday a Vistara flight returned to Bengaluru without landing at the Dabolim Airport in Goa after the Air Traffic Controller noticed a stray dog on the runway.

He stated that the incident occurred on Monday afternoon.

SVT Dhanamjaya Rao, Goa airport’s director, stated that the pilot was asked to hold for some time as a stray dog was spotted on the runway of the Dabolim Airport but he preferred to return to Bengaluru.

The INS Hansa base in Goa includes the Dabolim Airport.

According to sources, Vistara flight UK 881 took off from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport at 12.55 pm on Monday and returned at 3.05 pm.

“The flight again took off from Bengaluru at 4.55 pm and reached Goa at 6.15 pm”, they continued.

Vistara tweeted, “Flight UK881 from Bengaluru to Goa (BLR-GOI) has been diverted to Bengaluru due to runway restriction at Goa (GOI) airport and is expected to arrive in Bengaluru at 1505 hrs”, through its official ‘X’ handle.

After two hours, Vistara re-tweeted, “Flight UK881 which was diverted to Bengaluru has departed from Bengaluru at 1655 hours and is expected to arrive in Goa at 1815 hours”.

Rao stated that stray dogs do occasionally enter the runway but the area is swiftly cleared by the ground staff.

He went on to say, “This is the first such incident in my tenure of last one-and-a-half years”.

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