Two IndiGo flights that were scheduled to land at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport in Indore were diverted to Bhopal on Tuesday after airport officials detected loose bitumen on a section of the runway. The issue was identified during a routine runway inspection that was being conducted while recarpeting work was underway at the airport.
According to airport officials, the inspection team noticed loose bitumen on the runway surface, which could potentially affect aircraft operations if not addressed immediately. As a precautionary measure, authorities temporarily halted landing operations to allow maintenance teams to carry out necessary repairs and cleaning.
An official spokesperson from Indore Airport said the Civil Engineering team quickly responded to the situation and attended the site soon after the issue was identified. The maintenance team carried out repair and cleaning work on the affected portion of the runway, ensuring that all loose material was removed and the surface was restored to safe operational standards.
The repair process was completed within approximately twenty minutes. After the maintenance work was finished, airport officials conducted a safety inspection of the runway to confirm that it was suitable for aircraft operations. Once the inspection was completed, the runway was handed over to the Air Traffic Control unit for the resumption of flight services.
Due to the temporary disruption in runway availability, two IndiGo flights were diverted to Raja Bhoj Airport in Bhopal. The flights affected by the diversion were flight number 6E6605 operating from Delhi to Indore and flight number 6E6219 operating from Raipur to Indore.
Airport authorities confirmed that both flights were safely diverted to Bhopal while the repair work was being carried out. Passengers were informed about the situation, and airline staff coordinated with airport authorities to manage the diversion process.
Once the runway was declared safe and fit for operations, normal flight services resumed at Indore Airport. Officials said that such inspections are regularly conducted to ensure the safety of aircraft and passengers, particularly when infrastructure work such as runway recarpeting is taking place.
Runway recarpeting is part of routine maintenance activities carried out at airports to maintain the quality and durability of the runway surface. These works are usually scheduled in phases to minimize disruption to flight operations, but safety inspections are intensified during the process.
Aviation experts note that even small surface irregularities can pose potential risks to aircraft during landing or takeoff. Therefore, airports follow strict safety protocols and conduct frequent inspections to detect and resolve any issues promptly.
The quick response by airport engineering teams helped ensure that the disruption was brief and that flight operations could return to normal soon after the repairs were completed.
Authorities said passenger safety remains the top priority and that all required measures were taken to ensure that the runway met safety standards before allowing aircraft movements.
