Bhubaneswar: A domestic flight from Bengaluru to Bhubaneswar was forced to divert to Lucknow on Wednesday evening after it could not land at Biju Patnaik International Airport due to severe nor’wester accompanied by heavy rain and strong winds.
The aircraft circled over Bhubaneswar for some time before air traffic control diverted it to Lucknow as weather conditions deteriorated rapidly. The flight finally returned to Bhubaneswar late at night once the weather improved and landed safely.
According to airport officials and airline sources, all passengers were safe and reached Bhubaneswar without any injury or major inconvenience. The passengers were reportedly taken care of during the diversion.
Nor’westers, locally known as ‘Kalbaisakhi’, are common in eastern India during the pre-monsoon season, often bringing sudden thunderstorms, squalls, and heavy rainfall that disrupt air traffic.
