Army removes aircraft from Saidpur airport runway

Bangladesh Army has removed a stranded aircraft of private carrier Novoair from the runway at Saidpur Airport where the front wheel of the aircraft burst after landing there on Wednesday evening.

“The NovoAir aircraft (Flight no VQ-967) took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at Dhaka with 69 passengers and four crews aboard and landed on at Saidpur Airport at 7:51 pm when the front wheel (landing gear) burst,” said a press release issued by 66 Infantry Division of Bangladesh Army on Thursday.

Despite the damage of front landing gear, Pilot Captain Tanvir Islam of the flight was able to stop the aircraft in the middle of the runway and all passengers and crews got off the plane safely and left for their respective destinations.

But, due to the location of the aircraft in the middle of the runway, all take-offs and landings of different flights at Saidpur Airport were stopped. At the request of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) soon after the incident, 66 Infantry Division of Bangladesh Army began the operation to tow the aircraft,” the release added.

Being informed, acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 66 Infantry Division and Area Commander of Rangpur Area and Commander of 16 Infantry Brigade Brigadier General Khandaker Shafiquzzaman, psc, arrived at the airport at night.

As per direct guidance of the acting GOC and in collaboration with the electrical and mechanical engineers (EME) center and School, the operation was successfully completed by removing the aircraft from the runway by 2 am last night.

After that the flight operation was restored at the airport, the release said.