The main runway of the international airport here remained shut for the second day today as incessant rains hampered the towing away of the Turkish Airline plane stuck in mud near the taxiway.
Officials hoped that the main runway would become functional by 5 p.m.
“Continuous rain in the airport area has made the ground near the main runway slushier, preventing movement of equipment for towing away the stranded plane,” Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) spokesperson told PTI.
The aircraft from Istanbul, with 104 passengers and crew on board, skidded off the taxiway in the wee hours yesterday.
The landing gear of the Airbus 340-300 got stuck in the mud near the runway, disrupting flight operations.
The arrival and departure of flights from the second runway was getting delayed by around 30 minutes.
Earlier, the airport authorities had said the main runway would be re-opened for flights by noon.