‘Fuel Mayday’ call: Indigo flight with 168 passengers makes emergency landing in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Before the horror of the tragic Air India crash that killed over 270 people could fade, another alarming incident came to light on Saturday as an IndiGo flight carrying 168 passengers issued a ‘Fuel Mayday’ call mid-air and made an emergency landing at the Bengaluru International Airport.
The incident took place on June 19 but has come to light only recently. When contacted, IndiGo spokesperson Rashmi stated to IANS on Saturday that no official statement has been issued regarding the matter. “The pilot issued a ‘Fuel Mayday’ as the flight was rerouted from Chennai to Bengaluru International Airport due to air traffic congestion (ATC),” she said.
The pilot declared a ‘Fuel Mayday’ and communicated that the aircraft required an immediate landing. Consequently, the flight was permitted to land ahead of others, and it touched down safely, she added.
The IndiGo spokesperson explained that it is standard procedure for pilots to declare a ‘Fuel Mayday’ when requesting an emergency landing due to low fuel levels.
Sources said that IndiGo flight 6E-6764 had taken off from Guwahati Airport and was bound for Chennai International Airport. However, due to traffic congestion, the flight was diverted to Bengaluru.
The incident occurred shortly after the crash of an Air India flight that had taken off from Ahmedabad and went down following a ‘Mayday’ call from the pilots has led to concern and panic among the passengers and crew on board the IndiGo flight, sources added.
The IndiGo aircraft, reportedly running critically low on fuel, managed to land safely at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. Following the distress call, Air Traffic Control (ATC) was alerted, and emergency protocols were activated. Medical and fire response teams were deployed and stood by at the airport. The flight landed safely at 8.20 p.m., according to airport sources.
After the emergency landing, the aircraft later resumed its journey to Chennai with a different crew, sources confirmed.