An IndiGo flight, carrying 168 people from Guwahati to Chennai on Thursday, was diverted to Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport. In a huge scare, the pilot emitted a mayday call before landing safely in Bengaluru. This comes days after an Air India aircraft crashed in Ahmedabad, claiming the lives of at least 270 people, including 241 passengers and crew.
Chennai Airport Traffic Jam Forces IndiGo Emergency Landing
The emergency landing of the flight was caused by a traffic jam at the Chennai airport, which saw the aircraft fail to land on schedule. The flight landed in Bengaluru at 8:15 pm on June 19. Both pilots of the flight were de-rostered, said NDTV.
Pilot Raised Mayday Signal Due to Low Fuel Before Bengaluru Landing
The pilot of the aircraft tried to land at Chennai airport at about 7:45 pm but cancelled the attempt and decided to proceed towards Bengaluru. About 35 minutes before landing at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda airport, the pilot indicated a distress signal on account of low fuel levels, said The Times of India.
TOI reported quoting sources that upon receiving the distress call, air traffic control, fire and medical services were activated and the plane was safely landed at around 8:15 pm.
One passenger is said to have indicated that the plane, after trying to land in Chennai, had made a sudden steep descent, which put most of them “on edge”.
Another IndiGo Flight Returns to Chennai After Mid-Air Glitch
On Friday, another flight of Indigo, which was bound for Madurai, returned to Chennai following a mid-air glitch. After operating for approximately half an hour, the pilot of the Indigo Airlines aircraft noticed the problem and requested permission to return to Chennai and land. The aircraft that had approximately 68 passengers landed without incident.
