Rajkot (Gujarat): An IndiGo flight from Dubai to Mumbai, with 194 people aboard, was diverted to Gujarat’s Rajkot airport for a precautionary landing on Monday after its crew declared an emergency on detecting smoke in the aircraft’s cargo hold.
Flight 6E-1452, using an Airbus A321, was on its way when the cockpit received an indication of smoke in the cargo hold area.
In line with standard aviation safety procedures, the crew diverted the aircraft to Rajkot International Airport instead of continuing to Mumbai.
Airport authorities declared a full emergency at 2.45 p.m. to prepare for the aircraft’s arrival. Fire tenders, ambulances, and other emergency response teams were deployed and remained on standby as the aircraft approached the airport.
However, the aircraft landed safely at 3.27 p.m. All 194 people on board disembarked safely, and no injuries were reported. The emergency response was subsequently stood down after the passengers had left the aircraft.
An official confirmed that the diversion was made after smoke was detected in the cargo hold and said the aircraft landed safely with all passengers unharmed.
“The aircraft would undergo a technical inspection to determine the cause of the smoke indication,” the official added.
In a statement, IndiGo said: “IndiGo flight 6E 1452, operating from Dubai to Mumbai, was diverted to Rajkot International Airport today as a precautionary measure due to a technical issue.”
“The aircraft landed safely at Rajkot, and all passengers have deboarded securely. An inspection of the aircraft is currently underway before it is cleared to resume operations. An alternate aircraft is being arranged to complete the journey and in the meantime, we are assisting our customers and making all necessary arrangements to ease the waiting time,” an airline spokesperson said.
“We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to our customers due to this unforeseen situation. At IndiGo, the safety of our passengers and crew remains our utmost priority.”
Under international aviation procedures, any indication of smoke or fire in a cargo compartment is treated as a potentially serious event because an actual fire in an aircraft’s hold can pose significant safety risks.
Flight crews are trained to initiate fire suppression procedures, declare an emergency when necessary, and land at the nearest suitable airport as a precaution.
A smoke warning does not necessarily confirm the presence of an active fire, and the exact cause can only be established after engineering and safety inspections.
Authorities have not yet disclosed what triggered the smoke warning, and no damage to the aircraft has been reported.
IndiGo is India’s largest airline by market share and operates flights to more than 80 domestic destinations and over 30 international destinations.
Its fleet primarily comprises Airbus A320 and A321 family aircraft, along with ATR 72-600 turboprop planes used on regional routes.
Meanwhile, last week, the low-cost airline’s parent firm InterGlobe Aviation reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 238 crore for the first quarter of FY27, compared with the corresponding period last year.
The airline’s earnings reversed sharply in the June quarter, with InterGlobe Aviation swinging to a consolidated net loss of Rs 238 crore from a net profit of Rs 2,176.3 crore in the corresponding period last year, reflecting a deterioration of over Rs 2,400 crore in its bottom line.
(IANS)
