Technical snag: IndiGo flight canceled, another diverted amid safety concerns
What's the story
An IndiGo flight from Chandigarh to Lucknow was canceled on Friday after a technical issue was detected during pre-flight checks. The problem was identified before the aircraft started taxiing, prompting all passengers to be safely deboarded as a precautionary measure. The affected passengers were either accommodated on alternate flights or offered full refunds.
Safety scrutiny
Flight diverted due to bad weather
The cancelation of the Chandigarh-Lucknow flight comes amid increased scrutiny on aviation safety following a recent Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. On Saturday, an Air India Express flight from Delhi to Patna was diverted to Varanasi due to bad weather. The aircraft later landed in Patna safely.
Emergency diversion
'Mayday' declared in Guwahati-Chennai flight
In another incident, an IndiGo flight from Guwahati to Chennai had to make an emergency landing at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport after the captain declared a 'Mayday' due to low fuel. The aircraft had initially attempted to land in Chennai but aborted the landing as the landing gear touched the runway momentarily. A source revealed that the approach was unstable, leading the pilot to execute a steep climb.
Mid-air return
Madurai-bound flight returned to Chennai
Separately, a Madurai-bound flight also suffered a technical snag mid-air on Friday and returned to Chennai after flying for about 30 minutes. All but one of the 242 people on the London-bound flight AI171 died on June 14 when it crashed into a residential area, with 33 people on the ground also among the dead.