LUCKNOW, MAY 1, 2026 — An IndiGo flight bound for Raipur aborted its take-off at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport on Thursday morning after a monkey was observed on the runway. The aircraft, which had begun its take-off roll, halted abruptly and returned to the apron. This incident led to significant delays, with the flight eventually departing over an hour behind its scheduled 8:55 am departure, finally taking off at 10:04 am after a thorough system inspection.
The runway was cleared by the airport's wildlife management team following standard operating procedures before other flights were permitted to land or take off. An Air India Express flight that had landed shortly before the IndiGo incident had already alerted authorities to the presence of monkeys near the runway. This prior warning did not prevent the IndiGo flight from commencing its take-off, only for the pilots to spot the animal directly in its path approximately 200 metres into the roll. The crew then applied emergency brakes to halt the aircraft.
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The disruption briefly impacted operations at the airport. Another flight, Air India Express IX 1392, had to execute a go-around, circling the Lucknow airspace twice due to concerns about the animal on the runway.
Sources indicate that the IndiGo aircraft returned to the apron and later departed after refuelling. Aviation experts note that such events can result in increased fuel consumption and operational delays, though in this instance, no immediate safety risk was reported. The breach on the runway prompted the deployment of ground staff, including those operating the airport's 'Follow Me' vehicle, to secure the area.
