Lucknow: On Thursday morning, a monkey suddenly appeared in front of a flight on the runway at Lucknow Airport. The pilot applied the emergency brakes. The flight, carrying 135 passengers, was about to take off for Raipur. The aircraft was immediately moved to the taxiway. Following standard protocols and necessary inspections, the flight was cleared for departure an hour and fifteen minutes later.
According to airport sources, the incident occurred at 8:55 AM involving an IndiGo Airlines flight (6E-6521). The aircraft had already covered some distance down the runway in preparation for takeoff. A major mishap was averted thanks to the pilot’s presence of mind.
The sudden application of the brakes caused panic among all the passengers and crew members on board. The incident also created a stir within the airport administration. Meanwhile, personnel manning the ‘Follow Me’ vehicle deployed for runway safety immediately chased the monkey off the runway. However, when speaking to an airport spokesperson, denied that any such incident had taken place.
The Monkey Romps Around for an Hour
The monkey continued to hop on and around the runway for nearly an hour. After considerable effort, the runway safety personnel finally managed to chase it away. The monkey fled toward the airport’s boundary wall, situated on the side facing Rahimabad village.
The Flight Repositioned
According to sources, the pilot spotted a monkey approaching from the “city side” just before the scheduled takeoff. The animal was in the process of crossing the runway. Upon seeing the monkey, the pilot aborted the takeoff attempt. He immediately re-notified Air Traffic Control (ATC) regarding the situation. Consequently, the aircraft was repositioned. Once repositioned and having received clearance from ATC, the flight was finally cleared for takeoff.