Air India-IndiGo Collision: Unpacking Taxiing Rules and Airport Safety

• An Air India and an IndiGo plane collided while taxiing at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, highlighting ground safety concerns.
• Ground movement is a critical, highly coordinated phase involving pilots, ATC, Ground Control, AOCC, and ground staff to ensure safe aircraft movement.
• During taxiing, aircraft move under their own power at 10-40 km/h, with every step dictated by ATC/AOCC instructions, not pilot discretion.
• Distance between aircraft on taxiways depends on size, wingspan, taxiway width, and ICAO standards, with a minimum 7.5-meter side clearance designed.
• Wingtip collisions occur due to deviations from the centerline, misjudgment, low visibility, or the wing swing effect during turns, as pilots cannot directly see wingtips.

Why It Matters: Aircraft ground movement is as critical as flight, requiring strict adherence to rules and coordination to prevent collisions.