IndiGo flight makes emergency landing at Delhi airport, passengers safe

NEW DELHI — An IndiGo flight -- that carried 161 passengers -- on board made an emergency landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here on Saturday morning after a technical issue was reported in one of its engines, officials said.

A full emergency was declared at the airport as a precautionary measure. However, all passengers were safely evacuated, and no damage was reported, the fire department confirmed.

According to officials, the alert was received at around 10:54 a.m., following which fire tenders were immediately deployed to the airport.

The flight, 6E 579, operated on a Boeing 737 aircraft, was en route from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh to Delhi.

The aircraft was wet-leased by IndiGo from Turkey-based Corendon Airlines as part of its short-term operational arrangements.

In a statement, an IndiGo spokesperson said a technical snag was detected shortly before landing.

"As a precaution and in line with standard operating procedures, the pilots requested priority landing," according to IndiGo.

"The aircraft landed safely at Indira Gandhi International Airport, and all relevant authorities were informed. The aircraft is currently undergoing necessary inspections and maintenance," the spokesperson said.

"Safety of passengers and crew remains our highest priority," the airline added.

Moreover, the airline firm issued an advisory on Saturday amid climate change, saying that heavy rainfall and thunderstorm continues across Aizawl, and road conditions remain slow in several parts of the city.

"If you are travelling today, we recommend checking your flight status on our website or app before heading out through its official website," the airline firm noted on X.

It further said that please also allow for some extra travel time, as road traffic may also be affected.