New Delhi: A major accident was narrowly avoided at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport after an Ariana Afghan Airlines flight from Kabul landed on the wrong runway on Monday. The aircraft, operating as FG 311, had been cleared by air traffic control to land on runway 29L, but it mistakenly touched down on runway 29R, which is mainly used for departures.

Airport officials said there was no aircraft taking off from 29R at that moment, which prevented what could have been a serious collision. The flight landed safely and no passengers or crew were harmed.

According to the pilot, the aircraft lost the Instrument Landing System signal around four nautical miles from the runway. With visibility also reported to be low, the crew continued the approach visually and landed on the incorrect runway. The pilot had acknowledged ATC instructions to land on 29L, but the deviation happened during the final stages of descent.

Authorities are now investigating whether the issue came from the aircraft’s navigation equipment, the airport’s systems or other environmental factors. The DGCA has begun a detailed probe, which will include reviewing communication between ATC and the cockpit, weather conditions and the performance of landing guidance systems.

Aviation experts say landing on a runway meant for departures is a serious safety breach because the risk of collision with aircraft taking off or taxiing is very high. They added that this incident highlights the need for strict monitoring of landing systems, especially during poor visibility.

Airport operations continued normally after the incident, and Ariana Afghan Airlines has not yet issued a public statement. Investigators are expected to release a preliminary report soon as they work to determine how the mistake occurred and how similar incidents can be prevented in the future.