NEW DELHI: A tow truck of a leading ground handling service provider caught fire during the pushback of an international cargo plane at the IGI Airport. No one was injured in the incident but the vehicle suffered damage, airport officials said.
“The tow truck of Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt Ltd was assisting in the pushback of an Etihad flight loaded with cargo, which was on its way to Doha, when the incident occurred late on Friday night. For reasons unknown, the truck caught fire. It was doused within ten minutes by the fire service,” said an airport official.
Pushback is the process deployed for departing flights whereby a specialised tow tractor guides a plane backwards from the parking bay to the taxiway. This is essential as commercial flights cannot move in the reverse direction.