Stray Dog on Kolkata Airport Runway Forces Chennai-Bound IndiGo Flight to Divert to Andal

A stray animal on the runway at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata prompted an IndiGo flight bound for Chennai to divert to Andal Airport in Durgapur, according to multiple sources. The incident occurred as the Chennai-to-Kolkata service was approaching Kolkata for landing, with authorities and the flight crew taking swift action to safeguard passengers. The diversion was described as a precautionary measure, coordinated by air traffic control and the flight crew, culminating in a safe arrival at Andal.

Curly Tales specifies that the wildlife sighting involved a fox on the runway and notes that the aircraft performed a go-around after ATC instructed an aborted landing, before diverting to Andal. The report emphasizes that the diversion occurred during the approach to Kolkata, and that the aircraft landed safely at Andal Airport in Durgapur. This account situates the incident within a broader context of heightened security concerns at Kolkata on the same day.

The Hindu provides a precise timing sequence, stating that the IndiGo flight diverted just before landing after the captain spotted a fox on the runway, prompting a go-around and subsequent landing at Andal airport in Durgapur at 6:35 p.m. It also reports that earlier in the day, a hoax hijack threat was found in a lavatory on an Air India flight from Kolkata to Mumbai, after which authorities conducted checks and deemed the threat non-credible, allowing the Air India aircraft to depart about seven hours behind schedule. Passengers on the IndiGo flight reportedly waited for more than two and a half hours before continuing the journey to Kolkata could resume.

FlightGlobal frames the Kolkata incident within the day’s broader security episodes at the airport, attributing the IndiGo diversion to wildlife on the runway and highlighting the proactive actions of the flight crew and ATC in executing a safe go-around and diversion. The article also notes that the broader coverage of the day included the hoax hijack threat on the Air India flight, but concentrates on operational response and wildlife risk rather than the animals themselves.

NDTV and The Hindu together corroborate that the fox was sighted on the runway as the IndiGo Chennai-to-Kolkata service neared landing, triggering the go-around and subsequent diversion to Andal. The Hindu’s account additionally places the timing of the diversion at 6:35 p.m. and confirms that the hoax hijack threat was under investigation, with security checks conducted on the other Kolkata-bound flight. Neither source provides details on aircraft type, exact passenger injuries, or other flight-specific outcomes beyond the diversion and safe landing at an alternate airport.

Gujarat Samachar’s coverage emphasizes authorities’ ongoing review of perimeter security at NSCBI Airport in light of the incident and the recent hijack hoax, noting that an investigation has been initiated to examine security measures and identify lapses. The report also reiterates that the diversion was precautionary and involved coordination between the crew and air traffic control to ensure passenger safety, without disclosing aircraft type, injuries, or precise timing beyond the general sequence.

WSVN and Patch describe a separate United States incident in the same briefing ecosystem: a small aircraft skidded off a runway at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, with responders on the scene and no injuries reported, though these outlets’ coverage focuses on the U.S. event rather than the Kolkata diversion. The inclusion of these items serves to illustrate the breadth of the briefing ecosystem but does not establish any aviation consequences for the Kolkata incident beyond the reported diversion and safe landing.

Overall, the available material confirms that a stray animal, identified as a fox, was on the Kolkata runway as an IndiGo Chennai-to-Kolkata flight approached, leading ATC to order a go-around and the crew to divert to Andal Airport in Durgapur. The incidents at Kolkata on that day also included a hoax hijack threat on another flight, prompting security checks but not resulting in a concluded disruption for the IndiGo service itself beyond the two and a half hours of wait reported by passengers before resuming their journey. Authorities launched an investigation into perimeter security at NSCBI Airport in response to the broader events of the day.