An IndiGo flight bound for Raipur was forced to abort its take-off at Lucknow airport after a group of monkeys was spotted crossing the runway, officials said on Friday.
According to airport sources, flight 6E 6521, carrying around 150 passengers, had begun its take-off roll at about 9 am on Thursday and had covered roughly 20–30 per cent of the runway when the pilots noticed monkeys moving across it. The crew immediately aborted the take-off and alerted air traffic control. The aircraft then returned to the bay and departed about an hour later after refuelling.
Officials said a considerable amount of fuel was consumed during the aborted take-off, making refuelling necessary. This also caused delays for the flight and had a knock-on effect on the departure schedule of other flights. Sources added that around 10 minutes before the incident, an Air India Express flight that had just landed had informed authorities about monkeys near the runway.
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Despite the warning, the IndiGo flight was cleared for departure shortly after but had to halt its take-off due to the animals on the runway, they said. Following the incident, the airport’s wildlife management team acted according to standard operating procedures and cleared the runway, after which normal operations resumed.
Officials said the monkeys likely strayed into the airport premises from nearby orchards in Rahimabad village, which lies adjacent to the Amausi area, where the airport is located.“Such incidents are rare when flights are disrupted due to monkeys. Bird-related issues are more common, though they are often beyond control,” an official said.
Aviation experts noted that while such occurrences can lead to excess fuel consumption and delays, there was no safety risk in this case as the pilots acted promptly, preventing any potential hazard.
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