Jet Airways flight slips on runway as pilots spot foreign object; all passengers are safe

According to an airline official, the pilot of the flight had to abort the take-off from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport early on Friday at 12.33 am after which all the 143 passengers and seven crew members were evacuated safely and were shifte

A Mumbai-bound Jet Airways flight (B 737- 800) 9W 523 slipped off the runway after the pilot spotted a foreign object on the runway following which it aborted a take-off from the King Khalid International Airport on Friday. The passengers and crew members were accommodated inside the terminal building of Riyadh Airport after the incident.

According to an airline official, the pilot of the flight had to abort the take-off from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport early on Friday at 12.33 am after which all the 143 passengers and seven crew members were evacuated safely and were shifted to the airport terminal building where they were served meals.

Following the incident, the Twitter handle of the Jet Airways tweeted: "All our guests and crew members of flight 9W 523 accommodated inside the terminal building at Riyadh Airport have been served meals and refreshments and our teams are taking care of their requirements."

A senior airline official said except for the small glitch in the take off from the runway, no other services of the Jet airways were affected due to the said incident. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was also informed about the incident and a detailed report of the same will soon be submitted.

A Jet Airways spokesperson said in a statement, "Jet Airways is engaged in making alternate travel arrangements for its guests aboard flight 9W 523 from Riyadh to Mumbai. A predominant number of guests from the 142 on board, have either returned to their local residences or have been accommodated in hotels." The statement further stated “Currently the event involving flight 9W 523 is being investigated by local regulatory authorities and our teams are providing full co-operation as necessary. At Jet Airways the safety of our guests and crew is of paramount importance,”