New Delhi, April 18 -- An Indian Air Force aircraft belly-landed at Pune airport late Friday, triggering a multi-hour runway closure that cascaded into disruptions for commercial airlines - though the aircrew walked away unharmed.

Pune's sole commercial runway fell silent just before midnight on Friday after an Indian Air Force fighter aircraft suffered an undercarriage failure during landing, physically blocking the strip and forcing authorities to suspend all flight operations. The incident, which unfolded at approximately 22:25 hrs, left passengers, airlines and airport officials scrambling as one of India's busiest dual-use airports went dark.

The IAF confirmed the episode without disclosing the aircraft type or the nature of the fa...