Goa Airport shut down after Jet Airways flight incident

Goa airport has been closed till afternoon as Jet Airways flight veered off the runway at 5.30 am today morning.

The flight with 161 people on board veered off the runway at Dabolim airport in Goa while aligning for take off to Mumbai. The passengers onboard suffered "minor" injuries during evacuation.

"Jet Airways regrets to inform that its flight 9W 2374, from GOI - BOM of today, with 154 guests and 7 crew, veered off the runway while aligning for takeoff. All guests and crew have been safely evacuated. Few guests have sustained injuries during the evacuation process and medical assistance is being coordinated by the Jet Airways team and the airport authorities," the airline spokesperson said.

Flight 9W 2374 which had arrived from Dubai and was bound for Mumbai, was about to take off when it skidded off the runway.

When the evacuation was on, the aircraft tilted forward, an eyewitness said, triggering panic among passengers. Navy sources said 15 people suffered "minor injuries and fractures" in the process.

"When people were getting down the plane, it suddenly tilted forward triggering panic and chaos," a passenger told a PTI reporter.

The airline is closely working with the local airport authorities to resume normal operations. The airline is making alternate travel arrangements for its guests to and from Goa in order to minimise inconvenience.