By Reuters
MUMBAI - A SpiceJet aircraft has been moved after blocking the main runway at Mumbai international airport this week, but it was not clear when the runway would resume operations, an airport spokeswoman said on Friday.
A SpiceJet Boeing 737-800 airplane is seen after it overshot the runway while landing due to heavy rains at an airport in Mumbai, India July 2, 2019. (REUTERS FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Hundreds of flights were canceled or diverted after the Boeing 737-800 skidded off the runway on Monday after landing and got stuck in mud, hampering flight operations at India’s second biggest airport.
The airport is using its secondary runway until the main runway is ready to take aircraft. “It will take some time,” the spokeswoman said.
Wall collapses in Mumbai and nearby towns, caused by the worst monsoon rains in a single day in 14 years, killed 30 people on Tuesday and disrupted rail and air traffic, prompting officials to shut schools and offices.
Mumbai is looking to turn itself into a global financial hub but large parts of the city struggle to cope with annual monsoon rains, as widespread construction and garbage-clogged drains and waterways make it increasingly vulnerable to chaos.