Image from Indigo’s X account
Indigo Airlines suffered catastrophic mechanical difficulties on two consecutive flights on Nov 19th, 2024, necessitating emergency landings at major Indian airports. Both occurrences involved two distinct aircraft models: an ATR-72 on a local route and an Airbus A321neo on an international flight. Quick responses from flight crews and airport officials were critical to ensure passenger safety.
Engine Failure Forces Emergency Landing in Delhi
The first incident concerned Indigo aircraft 6E7468, a domestic service flying from Jaipur to Dehradun. The ATR-72-600 had a major engine failure while flying over northern India. The flight, which had been sailing normally at an altitude of around 12,000 feet, suddenly suffered a serious technical problem, rendering one of its engines unusable. In response to the situation, the flight crew immediately triggered emergency procedure and opted to divert the aircraft to Delhi
The aircraft in question, registered as VT-IRA, was a fairly new ATR-72, just 4.3 years old. The airline’s prompt action ensured that the aircraft landed safely, even if the exact reason of the engine failure was not immediately revealed. The airplane landed without any injuries to the 56 passengers and staff members on board, and the diversion to New Delhi was carried out without any problems.
IndiGo Airlines started its recovery operations after landing. The airline acknowledged the inconvenience and offered refreshments to the impacted customers while plans were made for their subsequent journey to Dehradun. Additionally, the airline stated that before the ATR-72 could resume flights, it will be subjected to a comprehensive repair and inspection. The incident was handled quickly by the airplane crew and the DEL airport workers, which made it possible to manage the situation without any major setbacks.
Mid-Flight Mechanical Issue Forces Emergency Landing in Kochi.
The second emergency concerned IndiGo aircraft 6E1127, an international flight from Bengaluru (BLR) to Male, Maldives (MLE) on Tuesday, November 19th. This flight was operated by an Airbus A321neo and carried 140 persons, including 136 passengers and four crew members. While flying over the Arabian Sea, the aircraft discovered an unreported mechanical fault that constituted a possible safety concern. As the situation worsened, the crew decided to divert the aircraft to Cochin International Airport (CIAL) in Kochi for an emergency landing.
The Airbus A321neo involved in the incident was registered as VT-IUV and was 4.7 years old. Given the aircraft’s age and recent routine checkups, the airline’s quick decision to divert demonstrated the gravity of the problem. At 2:05 p.m., Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) activated full emergency measures in preparation for the unplanned landing.
Flight 6E1127 successfully landed at 2:21 p.m., and the emergency situation was declared ended at 2:28 p.m., less than 23 minutes later. The airport’s emergency staff responded immediately, ensuring that the landing proceeded well. The 140 people on board included 91 Indians and 49 foreign nationals, with a distribution of 71 men, 56 women, 9 children, and 4 newborns.
Following the landing, IndiGo Airlines indicated that the aircraft will be properly examined and repaired before resuming service. To ensure that their travel plans were not disrupted, all passengers were relocated onto a different flight.
While neither incident ended in loss of life or injury, the emergency landings served as a reminder of the unpredictability of air travel. Aircraft, regardless of age or maintenance history, can experience unforeseen technical failures, and it is the primary responsibility of airlines, flight crews, and airports to respond immediately and decisively to guarantee passenger safety.
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