Two Indigo pilots try to land plane on a road after mistaking it for Jaipur airport runway, sacked

In a shocking report that highlights safety concerns in India's rapidly expanding aviation sector, two Indigo pilots recently attempted to land their plane on a road which they mistook for a runway.

The IndiGo flight from Ahmedabad in Gujarat to Jaipur in Rajasthan was close to touching down until the pilots were alerted by a "too low terrain" warning in the cockpit, the company said in a statement.

"The captain in command immediately took a precautionary measure and carried a go-around. The aircraft landed safely on subsequent approach," added the statement.

The incident reportedly happened on February 27 but has only just come to light in Indian media.

IndiGo said the pilots were made aware of their mistake by an enhanced ground proximity warning system, which alerts the cockpit if the plane is in danger of flying into the ground or hitting something.

"At no time was safety compromised. Both pilots have been taken off flight duty with immediate effect, pending investigation," said the statement.

"The matter was duly reported to the (aviation regulator) Directorate General of Civil Aviation by IndiGo flight safety department," IndiGo added.