Akasa Air 737 MAX 8 Suffers Tail Strike on Go-Around at Kolkata

An Akasa Air Boeing 737 MAX 8 struck its tail on the runway during a go-around at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) on October 31, 2026, and the aircraft remains grounded pending a detailed damage inspection.

The aircraft, registered VT-YAG, was operating flight QP1925 from Ahmedabad (AMD) to Kolkata. It was approaching runway 19L at approximately 7:37 am local time (02:07 UTC) when the flight crew discontinued the approach and initiated a go-around — an aborted landing in which the aircraft applies power and climbs away from the runway. During the manoeuvre, the jet's tail made contact with the runway surface.

The crew climbed the aircraft to approximately 3,000 feet and rejoined the circuit for another approach. The 737 landed safely roughly 20 minutes after the go-around. No injuries were reported among those on board.

Akasa Air confirmed that the crew had discontinued the first approach and landed safely on the second attempt. The tail strike itself was discovered only during a post-flight inspection — meaning the crew completed the second approach and landing without certain knowledge that the airframe had sustained contact.

What happens to the aircraft now?

The 737 MAX 8 remained at Kolkata airport for a detailed inspection. Akasa Air said it had notified the relevant authorities and that the incident is under investigation. The airline has not disclosed the extent of the damage and has given no timeline for the aircraft's return to service.

That silence leaves open the practical question of cost and capacity. Tail strikes can range from cosmetic scraping of the rear fuselage to structural damage requiring extended heavy checks. Until Akasa publishes an assessment, the aircraft's downtime — and its effect on the carrier's schedule — cannot be quantified.

A seven-year-old airframe with a detour-filled history

The incident aircraft carries manufacturer's serial number 43924 and line number 7665. Boeing built it in 2019; it first flew on August 5 of that year, according to delivery records cited in the incident report.

The jet did not reach its first intended operator. It had originally been built for South Korea's Eastar Jet, but the Korean carrier never took delivery. The airframe sat through the 737 MAX grounding era before Akasa Air received it in November 2022, making it just over seven years old at the time of the Kolkata incident.

The aircraft is powered by two CFM International LEAP-1B engines, the sole powerplant option on the 737 MAX family.

What does this change for the airline?

For now, the immediate consequence is operational: one airframe out of service at Kolkata, an investigation under way, and a regulator notification filed. Akasa's fleet plans lean heavily on the 737 MAX 8, including recent sale-and-leaseback activity with lessor Avolon covering 737-8-200 variants, so any extended grounding of a single aircraft tightens an already utilisation-driven operation.

The investigation by the relevant authorities will focus on why the approach to runway 19L was discontinued, how the go-around was flown, and whether rotation attitude or flap and thrust settings contributed to the tail contact. Akasa has not commented on any of those factors.

A full damage assessment and a return-to-service date for VT-YAG are the next milestones to watch.