Agartala-Delhi IndiGo flight with 103 passengers diverted to Lucknow after smoke warning | Today’s news
An IndiGo flight operating from Agartala to Delhi was diverted to Lucknow’s Chowdhury Charan Singh Airport on Tuesday (September 15) after a smoke alert was received in the plane’s cargo hold, PTI reported quoting an official statement.
IndiGo flight 6E6504 landed safely at Lucknow airport at 6:29 pm carrying 103 passengers and six crew members, airport authorities said, according to a news agency. No unusual incident was reported.
An Air India Express flight was diverted to Lucknow after a cargo smoke alarm
Earlier this month, an Air India Express flight from Varanasi to Delhi was diverted to Lucknow as a precaution after a smoke detection alarm was triggered in the plane’s cargo hold.
Flight IX 1253 with 155 passengers departed Varanasi around 8:00 a.m. on September 3. Soon after take-off, a smoke alarm was activated in the cargo hold, after which the pilot alerted Lucknow air traffic control and requested permission to make an emergency landing.
The plane landed safely at Lucknow airport at 8:52 am. Rescue teams, including airport staff, fire officials and technical experts, immediately arrived at the plane. All passengers and crew members were disembarked at 9:02 am, according to sources.
No smoke or fire was detected during initial inspections
Initial inspections of the plane revealed no signs of smoke or fire. The aircraft was later taken to a hangar for detailed technical examination while an investigation was launched to determine the cause of the alarm.
An Air India Express spokesperson said the crew decided to divert the aircraft to Lucknow as a safety precaution after a technical problem was detected.
The airline said passenger safety remained a priority and refreshments were provided on board. She also said that a replacement plane is being prepared on priority to take the passengers to Delhi.
In another incident reported on Sunday, Air India flight AI1886 from Bhopal to Delhi was diverted to Jaipur due to a technical problem.
“Flight AI1886 operating on September 13 from Bhopal to Delhi was diverted to Jaipur due to a technical issue as per established procedures. The aircraft landed safely at Jaipur and underwent checks in accordance with Air India’s safety standards,” Air India said.
The airline regretted the inconvenience caused to passengers as a result of the situation and said that efforts are being made to get them to their final destination as soon as possible.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
