Debris on runway disrupts flights into Chennai

Chennai: A major mishap was averted on Thursday night in Chennai airport by air traffic control which alerted a pilot not to land on the airport's primary runway due to debris. Airport sources said, top layer of the main runway, which is being relaid, started wearing out resulting in tar debris.

ATC officials who had noticed that the runway was unfit for landing operations, diverted a flight to Bengaluru while seven other flights were forced to keep flying around in the Chennai skies until they could be cleared. The delayed flights landed later on the secondary runway. The runway debris chaos affected flight operations till late into the night inconveniencing passengers.