An Air India Express plane bound for Delhi from Bagdogra, carrying 148 passengers, was forced to make an emergency landing at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow following a smoke alert in the air, according to news agency PTI.
The report said that flight IX1523 was diverted to Lucknow on Monday evening after the pilot issued the “Mayday” call, an internationally recognized distress signal used in life-threatening situations.
The call was made after crew members detected smoke in the plane’s avionics bay, which houses important electronic systems. There were also 6 crew members on board and no injuries were reported.
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“To prioritize safety, the crew operating one of our flights to Delhi elected to divert to Lucknow and made a priority landing following a smoke alarm. The aircraft landed safely, and all guests were served refreshments on arrival. They were then re-accommodated on alternative flights to Delhi.
Confirming the incident, an Air India Express spokesperson said the crew detected smoke and decided to divert the flight to Lucknow, adding that all passengers on board were safe and were provided with alternative flights to Delhi.
“To prioritize safety, the crew operating one of our flights to Delhi elected to divert to Lucknow and made a priority landing following a smoke alert. The aircraft landed safely, and all guests were served refreshments on arrival. They were later re-accommodated to alternative flights to Delhi. We apologize for the inconvenience,” the spokesperson said.
Some passengers were offered full refunds, while others were provided hotel accommodation and rebooked on later flights, the sources said, according to a PTI report.
Following the accident, the aircraft was classified as an “aircraft on the ground” (AOG), a technical term indicating that the aircraft had been grounded due to a fault that required immediate inspection and repair before it could fly again. The report stated that the plane is still parked at Lucknow airport.
