Major Incident Averted at Lucknow Airport Due to Monkeys on Runway

A significant incident was narrowly avoided at Lucknow's Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport when monkeys appeared on the runway, causing an Indigo flight to halt its takeoff. The flight, carrying around 150 passengers, had to be refueled before it could take off again after an hour. This event followed a prior warning from another flight about the monkeys' presence. Additionally, a separate security incident occurred when a passenger was detained for carrying a homemade pistol. The airport's wildlife management team acted quickly to clear the runway and resume normal operations.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 1, 2026, 22:07 IST

Lucknow Airport Incident

Lucknow: A significant incident was narrowly avoided at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow on Thursday when monkeys unexpectedly appeared on the runway, forcing an Indigo flight to halt its takeoff. The flight, numbered 6E6521, was scheduled to depart for Raipur. Around 9 AM, the aircraft had gained speed on the runway and had covered nearly one-third of the distance when the pilots spotted monkeys running across the runway.

Flight Took Off Again After One Hour

The pilots acted swiftly, stopping the takeoff and notifying air traffic control. The aircraft was safely taxied back to its position. At that moment, approximately 150 passengers were onboard. Due to the excess fuel consumed during the aborted takeoff, the plane required refueling before it could take off again. The flight resumed its journey about an hour later. This incident also caused delays for several other flights at the airport.

Prior Warning About Monkeys

According to sources, a few minutes earlier, an Air India Express flight that had just landed reported the presence of monkeys near the runway to airport officials. Despite this warning, the Indigo flight proceeded for takeoff, but had to halt once the monkeys appeared on the runway. Following the incident, the airport's wildlife management team promptly cleared the runway, allowing normal operations to resume. Officials indicated that the monkeys likely wandered from nearby gardens in the Rahimabad village adjacent to the Amausi area.

Passenger Caught with Weapon

In a separate incident at the same airport, a 22-year-old passenger was detained during a security check on Friday. The individual, identified as Mahesh Kumar Chauhan from Gonda district, was set to fly to Dubai on an Air India Express flight. A homemade pistol was discovered in his luggage during the routine security screening, prompting airport authorities to notify the Sarojini Nagar police station. The police registered a case under the Arms Act based on the airport official's complaint.