An IndiGo flight from Kolkata in eastern India to Srinagar in the north had to make an emergency landing on Wednesday after the crew reported a fuel leak.
Flight 6E 6961 landed safely at the Lal Bahadur Shastri international airport, in Uttar Pradesh state’s Varanasi, at around 4.10pm local time.
All 166 passengers on board were reported unharmed.
According to the Varanasi police and airport officials, the crew informed the captain after noticing the fuel leak. The pilot, in turn, immediately alerted Air Traffic Control, which cleared the plane for an emergency landing, according to India Today.
The Hindu quoted unnamed sources as saying that a faulty sensor was responsible for triggering a false fuel leak alert, but this has not been confirmed in official statements.
A technical team has been deployed to examine the aircraft and confirm the nature of the fault.
In a statement, IndiGo said the flight “made a precautionary landing at Varanasi airport due to a suspected technical issue.”
The airline said it organised a substitute flight so passengers could resume their journey to Srinagar.
“As a safety measure, the aircraft has been grounded for necessary checks and an alternate aircraft has been arranged to continue the journey,” the airline said.
“At IndiGo, the safety of our passengers, crew, and aircraft is our top priority,” the statement added. “We appreciate our customers’ patience and cooperation as our teams work to minimise any inconvenience.”
In another aviation-related incident, Air India flight AI191, operating between Mumbai and Newark in the US was compelled to return to the coastal Indian city soon after take-off due to a suspected technical issue.
The flight crew made a precautionary decision to turn back, and the aircraft landed safely back in Mumbai, according to local reports.
As a result, both flight AI191 and its return leg, AI144, were cancelled.
