Rajkot: A Dubai-Mumbai IndiGo flight made an emergency landing at Rajkot International Airport on Monday after crew members detected smoke in the aircraft's cargo hold, prompting ground rescue teams, fire engines, and ambulances to be rushed to the runway as the pilot initiated immediate emergency protocols to safely land the aircraft.
The IndiGo flight 6E 1452 was carrying 194 passengers and all of them deboarded the aircraft safely after landing.
The mid-air scare reportedly unfolded as the flight was cruising over Gujarat airspace. Ground crew and cockpit instruments flagged a potential fire within the luggage compartment, prompting cabin staff to execute emergency protocol.
Understanding the immediate risk, the captain bypassed the scheduled destination and coordinated an urgent diversion to Rajkot, the nearest available airfield equipped to handle full-scale emergency landings.
Emergency response activated
The airspace was cleared by Air Traffic Control at Rajkot, which alerted crash tenders, medical units, and airport security, placing the entire facility on high alert.
Aircraft under inspection
The aircraft landed safely without further escalation. Ground engineers and aviation safety inspectors have since impounded the aircraft at the airport bay to inspect the cargo hold and determine the exact cause behind the smoke alarm.
An official statement from the airline was not publicly available till the time of writing this article.
