An emergency evacuation was carried out at KIA after smoke was detected inside the IndiGo aircraft

Flight 6E 6017 was scheduled to depart from KIA to Chennai at 18:14 when smoke was detected on board the aircraft and an immediate evacuation was carried out. | Photo credit: File Photo

An IndiGo flight underwent an emergency evacuation at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Tuesday evening as smoke was detected in the aircraft while taxiing to the runway for departure.

Flight 6E 6017 was scheduled to depart from KIA to Chennai at 18:14 when smoke was detected on board the aircraft and an immediate evacuation was carried out.

“On Tuesday, when IndiGo flight 6E 6017 from Bengaluru to Chennai was taxiing to the runway for departure, smoke was detected in the aircraft. An immediate evacuation was carried out for safety and all relevant authorities were informed,” an IndiGo spokesperson said.

The airline said all customers and crew are safe and have been moved to the terminal where its teams are looking after them to ensure their well-being.

She added that a replacement plane has been arranged to operate the flight and will depart soon, and refreshments are being served to customers to reduce their waiting time.

“At IndiGo, the safety of our customers and crew remains our top priority,” the spokesperson added.

Airport officials said around six flights were delayed by 30-40 minutes and the situation is now under control.

“The relevant authorities immediately provided all support to the airline. Regarding the disruption, several flights were delayed, otherwise operations have returned to normal,” airport officials said.

Officials added that the IndiGo plane blocked the taxiway, due to which other planes that were scheduled to depart could not take off. Flight schedules were also affected by bad weather conditions.

This incident occurred days after an Air India plane suffered a tail strike while landing at KIA.

Published – 26 May 2026 21:40 IST