Daijiworld Media Network - Rajkot
Rajkot, July 27: An IndiGo flight travelling from Dubai to Mumbai made a precautionary emergency landing at Gujarat's Rajkot International Airport on Monday after the crew received a smoke indication from the aircraft's cargo hold.
The flight, 6E-1452, operated by an Airbus A321, was carrying 194 passengers and crew when the cockpit detected the warning. Following established aviation safety protocols, the pilots decided to divert the aircraft to the nearest suitable airport rather than continue to its scheduled destination in Mumbai.
In anticipation of the landing, airport authorities declared a full emergency at 2.45 p.m., deploying fire engines, ambulances and emergency response teams to the runway as a precaution.
The aircraft landed safely at 3.27 p.m., and all 194 occupants disembarked without incident. No injuries were reported, and the emergency response was withdrawn after the evacuation was completed.
Airport officials confirmed that the diversion was prompted by a smoke indication in the cargo compartment and said the aircraft would undergo a detailed technical inspection to determine the cause of the warning.
In a statement, IndiGo said the flight was diverted purely as a precaution because of a technical issue.
The airline confirmed that all passengers were safely deboarded at Rajkot and that engineers are inspecting the aircraft before it can return to service. IndiGo also said it is arranging an alternate aircraft to transport passengers to Mumbai and is providing assistance and necessary support to minimise inconvenience during the delay.
The airline apologised for the disruption, reiterating that passenger and crew safety remains its highest priority.
Under international aviation safety procedures, any indication of smoke or fire in an aircraft's cargo hold is treated as a potentially serious situation. Flight crews are trained to activate fire-suppression systems where required, declare an emergency if necessary and divert to the nearest suitable airport to ensure passenger safety.
A smoke warning does not necessarily mean an actual fire has occurred. Aviation experts note that the exact cause can only be determined after detailed engineering inspections of the aircraft.
Authorities have not yet identified what triggered the smoke alert, and no damage to the aircraft has been reported.
IndiGo, India's largest airline by market share, operates flights to more than 80 domestic and 30 international destinations. Its fleet mainly consists of Airbus A320 and A321 family aircraft, along with ATR 72-600 turboprops serving regional routes.
The incident comes days after IndiGo's parent company, InterGlobe Aviation, reported a consolidated net loss of ?238 crore for the first quarter of FY27, compared with a net profit of Rs 2,176.3 crore during the corresponding period last year, reflecting a significant decline in profitability.