Low-Flying IndiGo Aircraft Sparks Panic In Maharashtra's Yeola; Shirdi Flight Diverted To Surat Amid Poor Visibility
After three hours, when weather conditions became favorable, the flight took off from Surat with all passengers and successfully landed in Shirdi late at night.
Published : March 31, 2026 at 12:08 PM IST
Shirdi: Panic gripped people of Nashik district in Maharashtra on Monday night after a Delhi-Shirdi IndiGo flight could not land at the airport and kept circling at low altitude due to poor visibility caused by heavy rain and strong winds in Shirdi and nearby areas earlier in the evening.
Residents of Yeola taluka said that the aircraft hovered at a low altitude for quite sometime, creating a loud roar and raising fears of a possible emergency amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Officials said IndiGo flight 6E6403, travelling from Delhi to Shirdi International Airport, reached Shirdi at its scheduled time of 8 PM, but could not land due to adverse weather conditions and poor visibility. The pilot attempted to land but was unsuccessful. The aircraft was then asked to remain in a holding pattern over the border areas of Vaijapur and Yeola talukas in Nashik and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar districts, in the hope that the weather would improve.
Meanwhile, as the flight continued to circle at a relatively low altitude, the loud engine noise alarmed local residents, triggering fear that something serious might be happening.
"Last night, we began receiving calls from our village as people feared something drastic was happening after hearing the loud roaring sound of an aircraft. We contacted senior officials, who spoke to airport authorities and asked us to reassure residents that the plane was unable to land," said Vijay Jejurkar, an eyewitness.
Several residents also contacted airport authorities in Nashik and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar seeking clarity. Officials quickly responded, stating that there was no technical issue with the aircraft and that the delay was only due to poor visibility.
After circling for a considerable time and assessing fuel levels, the pilot decided to divert the aircraft to Surat Airport. The flight landed safely in Surat, where it was re-fuelled.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Yeola Police Inspector Sandeep Mandlik said, "There were reports from residents that a plane was circling over Yeola. When we checked with airport authorities, they said the aircraft was coming from Delhi to Shirdi but could not land due to poor visibility. Locals were also informed that it was diverted to Surat."
Airport authorities later said that after a delay of around three hours when weather conditions improved in Shirdi, the same aircraft then took off again from Surat with all passengers and successfully landed in its intended destination.
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