The Leh Airport in Ladakh was closed for operations on Tuesday after the Indian Air Force heavy-lifter C-17 Globemaster was facing technical difficulties on the runway. According to reports, several passengers were stuck at the airport as flights were delayed or cancelled, while many flights were diverted.
Passengers of airlines including Vistara, IndiGo, SpiceJet and others faced flight disruptions. Vistara updated its customers about the rerouting of their flight from Delhi this morning due to the runway closure.
“Flight UK601 from Delhi to Leh (DEL-IXL) is returning back to Delhi airport (DEL) due to runway restriction at Leh and is expected to arrive in Delhi at 10:00 AM. Please stay tuned for further updates,” the airline tweeted.
At the same time, IndiGo replied to a Twitter user saying they regretted the inconvenience caused but it was “beyond the control of the airline”.
“We assure you that our team is doing its utmost to assist the passengers in the best possible manner. Your understanding during this interim is highly appreciated,” they added.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, an official said that the technical issue was not a serious one. “The issue is being fixed and the runway should be operational by tomorrow,” an official was quoted in the report.
The C-17 Globemaster is the largest aircraft asset of the Indian Air Force. In April and earlier this month, the IAF’s aircraft was used to rescue stranded Indian citizens from war-torn Sudan.
