Runway 34

Captain Vikrant Khanna is an accomplished pilot who is preparing for a flight from Dubai to Cochin. He drinks alcohol and parties the night before the flight and feels tired upon boarding, where his co-pilot is Tanya Albuquerque. Later, a cyclone in Cochin leads to the flight (Skyline 777) being diverted to Trivandrum on Khanna’s suggestion, despite Albuquerque insisting that Bengaluru was the safer alternative. She argues that Bengaluru must be the second option—not Trivandrum—as the latter is close to Cochin and likely facing the same severe weather. Khanna maintains that diverting to Trivandrum would allow an earlier landing and save fuel.

Due to a miscommunication by Cochin ATC, the pilots are unaware that Trivandrum’s weather and visibility are even worse. Khanna attempts to land on Runway 16 at Trivandrum, facing strong headwinds, but aborts and performs a go-around. He then decides to land on Runway 34, opposite to 16, despite the even deadlier tailwind. Trivandrum ATC prepares for the worst, with hospital beds ready and a rescue team stationed on the runway. Against all odds, Khanna manages to land the flight with his eyes closed, averting a major disaster.

Before the official enquiry, a preliminary interrogation is held, including Khanna’s medical test. However, the breathalyzer instrument is damaged, preventing confirmation of whether he was intoxicated. The enquiry, led by AAIB Head Narayan Vedant, focuses on the pilots’ decisions that night. Prior to this, Vedant questions the officials at Cochin ATC about the miscommunication. When he demands the audio tapes of the incident, they inform him that the recordings are overwritten every 12 hours. Furious that such a crucial record was lost, Vedant reprimands them, saying, “Incompetence breeds incompetence,” and orders them not to interfere further in the investigation.

The enquiry gains urgency after Alma Asthana, an elderly woman on the flight who trusted Khanna to land safely, dies of a heart attack en route to the hospital. During the proceedings, Khanna undergoes a polygraph test. Vedant also suspects Khanna of drinking a small bottle of gin on the flight. He then pressures Albuquerque, who ultimately reveals that Khanna had landed the plane with his eyes closed.

In the next session, Khanna explains that he has a photographic memory. Though his eyes were closed, he was visualizing every step of the landing based on previous experience flying private jets into Trivandrum. To prove this, he performs a simulated landing with Vedant as his co-pilot, wearing an eye cap and repeating the same sequence of actions from that night.

As a result, the Cochin ATC official responsible for the miscommunication is terminated, and Vedant initiates an internal investigation into Skyline Airways. Khanna is suspended for three months but is commended for his extraordinary flying skill. Still carrying the weight of the incident, Vikrant tearfully meets Alma Asthana’s daughter and assures her he really tried his best. Vedant tells him that he spared him because the country still needs pilots like him—but also reminds him never to forget this “stain” on his career.

Three months later, Vikrant is seen preparing for his next flight. It is revealed that the alcohol had actually been consumed by an air hostess out of sheer panic, and Khanna had tried to cover for her so she wouldn’t be punished.

Last Updated: August 28, 2025 at 12:55