An air traffic controller was derostered by authorities following an incident where two Vistara aircraft were involved in a near-miss incident in Delhi, India.
The incident took place at Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) on August 23, 2023, when one Vistara aircraft, an Airbus A320neo, registered as VT-TYA, was approved to depart from runway 29R to Siliguri Bagdogra Airport (IXB). Meanwhile, another Vistara Airbus A320neo, registered as VT-TNC, landed at DEL from Ahmedabad International Airport (AMD) on runway 29L and was given permission to taxi across runway 29R, which would have put it on a direct path with the aircraft departing towards IXB.
The pilots landing at DEL noticed the potential conflict and told local air traffic control who proceeded to revoke the take off approval for the flight to IXB.
VT-TYA then returned to the gate and departed to IXB at 11:54 am local time (UTC -5.5), almost four hours after its original scheduled departure time.
Both Vistara aircraft involved in the near-miss incident went on to complete four more flights on August 23, 2023.
“Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation has ordered a probe into the incident & ATCO has been off-rostered,” an official from India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation told the Indian Express.
DEL recently opened another runway, becoming the first Indian airport to have four.
In addition, the airport also introduced an elevated dual eastern cross taxiway (ECT), connecting the northern and southern airfields on the eastern side of DEL.
According to a press release on July 14, 2023, the ECT will help reduce “about 55,000 tonnes of CO2 emission, which is equivalent to planting about 15 lakh trees [1.5 million]”.
“We are for growth, we are for cresting new horizons but in a sustainable way, keeping with the Prime Minister’s impetus to achieve Zero Carbon Emissions by 2070,” Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Minster of Civil Aviation of India, said at the time.