Air India plane damaged as pilot forces early takeoff

New Delhi: An Air India aircraft's fuselage was damaged when its pilot decided to immediately lift the plane to avoid hitting a person and a jeep that had suddenly come on the Pune airport runway during takeoff, a DGCA official said.

The incident occurred when the A321 aircraft of the national carrier took off from Pune airport on Saturday morning. However, despite the incident, it landed at the Delhi airport safely, they said.