Bengaluru: An IndiGo flight, with 168 passengers onboard, experienced yet another aviation fright in a week's span when the flight from Guwahati to Chennai was forced to divert to Bengaluru, and make an emergency landing at Kempegowda International Airport on Thursday evening, after its pilot declared a 'Mayday' due to dangerously low fuel levels.
The Airbus A321, operating flight 6E-6764, departed Guwahati at 4:40 pm and was scheduled to land in Chennai at 7:45 pm. During the approach, however, according to Indigo, the pilot performed a "baulked landing" or go-around, after the wheels of the landing gear touched the runway for a brief moment, due to an unstabilised approach.
Air Traffic Control (ATC) reported that the pilot then made a decision not to attempt a second landing in Chennai, and about 35 nautical miles from Bengaluru, an emergency registration was sent to ATC, and the flight was diverted to Bengaluru for landing.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation into the incident. Both pilots involved in the flight have been derostered pending further inquiry. While IndiGo has not officially commented on the pilot action or the fuel status, airline sources have confirmed that all 168 passengers were safely deplaned.
The emergency landing comes just a week after a tragic incident involving an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. On June 12, that flight crashed into a medical complex in Ahmedabad shortly after take-off for London, killing all 279 onboard and sparking widespread concern about aviation safety.
Adding to the series of mid-air troubles, another IndiGo flight bound for Madurai from Chennai suffered a technical snag on Friday. The flight, carrying 68 passengers, returned to Chennai and landed safely, with all passengers disembarking without incident.
Aviation safety experts have raised concerns about operational oversight, aircraft preparedness, and fuel management in light of back-to-back incidents involving emergency landings and technical snags. While no passengers have been harmed in the recent IndiGo incidents, the growing frequency of distress calls has prompted calls for tighter checks and better cockpit decision-making protocols.
The DGCA has yet to issue a formal statement, but officials say both events will be thoroughly investigated to prevent recurrence.
One of the passengers told ETV Bharat that they never got to know that it was an emergency, as it was never announced. "When we landed, we saw so much security and firefighting that we felt nervous. Generally, in such cases, passengers are never informed about the emergency, and only the cabin crew and pilot know this," the passenger added.
Also Read
Madurai Bound Flight Returns To Chennai After Mid-Air Engine Snag
Leh-Bound IndiGo Plane Returns To Delhi Due To Technical Issue
