As an aircraft descends towards a runway, passengers usually know that the journey is nearing its end. Seat belts are fastened, window shades are raised and attention shifts towards the ground as the runway comes into view.
Then, unexpectedly, the engines become louder. The aircraft begins climbing and the runway falls away beneath the wings.
For passengers, the immediate reaction can be confusion, or even concern. Did something go wrong? Was the landing unsafe?
In most cases, what they have witnessed is one of aviation’s most important safety practices, a go-around.
Far from being an emergency, a go-around is a deliberate and extensively trained manoeuvre that allows pilots to discontinue an approach, climb away from the runway and prepare for another landing attempt.
For Air India, safety is central to the operation, and the go-around illustrates how pilot judgement, technology, procedures and training work together to preserve safety margins.
What is a go-around?
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration describes a go-around as a safe, routine manoeuvre that can be initiated by the pilot or requested by Air Traffic Control.
A go-around can be triggered by several circumstances, including an occupied runway, changing weather, traffic, reduced visibility or other operational considerations. Once the aircraft reaches a safe altitude, it is repositioned for another approach.
The principle is similar to parking a car in a tight space. If the angle is wrong, a driver does not necessarily force the vehicle into the space. The safer option is to pull out, reposition and try again.
A go-around follows much the same logic.
If an approach is not developing as required, pilots can discontinue it rather than attempt to salvage the landing. The aircraft climbs away, the crew reassesses the situation and another approach is established.
Importantly, a go-around is not an abnormal procedure. Missed-approach procedures are published for airports, pilots brief for the possibility before landing and airlines train for it regularly.
It is not aviation’s emergency backup plan. It is part of normal flight operations.
Sameer Bagai, Chief Pilot, A350 fleet, Air India, says pilots continuously monitor the approach and do not attempt to force a landing when the aircraft is not in a safe and stable position.
“As pilots, we continuously monitor the approach. If the aircraft is not in a safe and stable position to land, or if we lose the required visual references, we do not try to force the landing. We simply discontinue the approach and go around. It’s a normal, well-practised safety decision. And there is always another opportunity to land safely.”
How common are go-arounds?
Although a go-around can feel unusual inside the passenger cabin, it is a recognised part of commercial aviation.
Industry data suggests go-arounds occur on roughly one to three approaches in every 1,000. That means more than 99% of approaches result in a landing on the first attempt, although the rate varies depending on factors such as weather, airport complexity and traffic.
With millions of flights operating globally every year, thousands of go-arounds therefore take place.
For pilots and air traffic controllers, the possibility is considered during every approach. The option remains available until the aircraft has landed safely.
For passengers, however, the experience can be unsettling simply because they are not normally aware of the decision-making taking place in the cockpit.
That makes communication important.
Yoahann Banaji, Chief Pilot, B777 fleet, Air India, says announcements can help passengers understand what is happening.
“We make announcements to explain what is happening. Hearing from the captain can help reassure passengers that everything is under control and that the flight is continuing safely.”
Why do pilots perform a go-around?
Every landing begins well before the aircraft reaches the runway.
During the descent, pilots continuously monitor speed, altitude, wind, visibility, traffic and runway conditions. They compare the aircraft’s progress against clearly defined safety criteria.
Most approaches develop exactly as planned. But conditions can change quickly.
Wind may shift. Visibility may deteriorate. Another aircraft may still be occupying the runway. Traffic conditions may change. Or the aircraft may no longer satisfy the requirements for a stabilised approach.
When that happens, continuing towards the runway simply because the aircraft is close to landing does not necessarily make sense.
A go-around creates time and space for the crew to reassess the situation and establish another approach.
The decision is therefore less about whether the aircraft can land and more about whether it should land under the prevailing conditions.
The decision can happen earlier than passengers think
Passengers may imagine a go-around as a dramatic last-second decision just before touchdown.
Often, it is not.
Pilots continuously monitor multiple parameters during the approach. If the aircraft is too high, too fast, incorrectly aligned or otherwise outside the required stabilised approach criteria, the crew can decide to discontinue the approach.
The objective is not to “save” the landing.
The objective is to achieve a safe landing.
That distinction is central to modern aviation safety philosophy. Pilots are trained to recognise when an approach is no longer developing as required and to go around without hesitation.
At Air India, that approach is supported by the airline’s safety culture.
Banaji says pilots are expected to make decisions based on safety rather than pressure to complete a landing.
“At Air India, safety always comes first. Pilots are encouraged to make decisions based solely on safety and are never expected to continue an approach they are not comfortable with.”
He adds that a go-around should not be viewed as a failure.
“A go-around is not considered a mistake or a failure. In fact, it is often the safest and most professional decision when an approach is not developing as planned. Our culture supports pilots in making that decision whenever necessary.”
Is a go-around safe?
Yes. A go-around is a normal aviation procedure conducted within established aircraft performance limits and operating procedures.
Its purpose is to preserve or increase safety margins when conditions are not suitable for landing.
This is where the passenger perception of a go-around can differ sharply from the cockpit perspective.
For someone sitting in the cabin, the sudden increase in engine noise and climb can feel like something has gone wrong.
For the crew, it can mean that something has gone right: an approach that was not sufficiently safe has been discontinued before it becomes a greater risk.
The aircraft gains altitude, the crew gets additional time and the approach can be reassessed.
In that sense, a go-around does not indicate that safety has deteriorated. It is a mechanism for protecting safety margins.
Why regulators encourage go-arounds
The importance of go-arounds is reflected in aviation regulations, training programmes and safety guidance worldwide.
The FAA describes them as safe and routine, while industry safety organisations regard them as an important defence against approach and landing accidents.
Stabilised approach policies are designed to encourage crews to discontinue approaches that do not meet specified criteria.
Indian aviation regulators have also emphasised the risks associated with unstable approaches. A paper presented by India at an International Civil Aviation Organization conference identified unstable approaches continued to landing as a significant contributor to runway excursions and serious incidents.
The message is straightforward: when the conditions are not right, going around can be safer than continuing.
For regulators, airlines and pilots, therefore, a go-around is not a failure of the landing process.
It is an example of sound airmanship.
How Air India pilots train for go-arounds
For Air India pilots, a go-around is not a procedure they first encounter during a real flight.
It is repeatedly practised in advanced flight simulators as part of initial training, type-rating programmes and recurrent proficiency checks.
Training can cover scenarios involving adverse weather, low visibility, windshear, runway occupancy conflicts and other operational conditions that could require an approach to be discontinued.
The emphasis is not simply on knowing the physical procedure. Pilots must also be comfortable making the decision to execute it.
Bagai says recurrent simulator training reinforces this preparedness.
“Air India pilots undergo recurrent and regulatory simulator checks every six months. Go-arounds are a required part of these sessions, and every check includes a minimum of two to three go-arounds as part of the syllabus.”
Repeated simulator exposure helps make the procedure familiar rather than exceptional.
That matters because a go-around can require the crew to act decisively while simultaneously managing aircraft performance, navigation, communication and the next phase of the flight.
When not landing is the safest decision
In aviation, professionalism is not always about completing the planned action.
Sometimes, it is about recognising when conditions have changed and having the discipline to stop, reassess and try again.
That is what a go-around represents.
The next time an aircraft begins climbing just before touchdown, passengers need not assume that they have witnessed a failed landing or a dangerous situation.
They may instead be seeing one of aviation’s most important safety defences at work.
Pilots are trained for it. Airports have procedures for it. Regulators encourage it. Airlines support it.
And the aircraft is designed to do it.
Sometimes, the safest landing begins with the decision not to land.