An IndiGo flight traveling from Guwahati to Chennai on Thursday had to divert to Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, carrying 168 passengers. The situation became quite alarming when the pilot issued a mayday alert before safely landing in Bengaluru. This incident occurred just days after a tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad that claimed at least 270 lives, including passengers and crew.
The flight had to make an emergency landing due to congestion at Chennai airport, which made landing there impossible at the scheduled time. It touched down in Bengaluru at 8:15 pm on June 19. Reports indicate that both pilots were subsequently de-rostered.
The flight attempted to land at Chennai airport around 7:45 pm, but the pilot chose to abort this approach and head for Bengaluru instead. Approximately 35 minutes before landing in Bengaluru, a distress call was made regarding insufficient fuel, according to The Times of India.
Following the distress signal, air traffic control and emergency services were quickly mobilized, ensuring the plane landed safely around 8:15 pm, as reported by TOI.
One passenger recounted a dramatic steep approach towards Chennai, which left many feeling quite anxious during the flight.
In another incident on Friday, a separate IndiGo flight heading to Madurai had to return to Chennai due to a mid-air issue. After about half an hour in the air, the pilot detected the problem and requested permission to land back in Chennai. The flight, with approximately 68 passengers onboard, landed safely.
