Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 23: An IndiGo Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner carrying more than 250 passengers returned to London’s Heathrow Airport early Wednesday after a technical issue was detected shortly after take-off for Delhi.
The pilots declared an emergency and sought priority landing at Heathrow, where the aircraft landed safely and all passengers disembarked without incident.
Reports from London said the pilots detected smoke onboard the aircraft after take-off and decided to turn back. The crew informed Air Traffic Control about the emergency.
IndiGo flight 6E4, operating from London to New Delhi, returned to Heathrow about an hour after departure, according to flight tracking data from Flightradar24.
In a statement, IndiGo said a technical issue was detected shortly after take-off on flight 6E 04 operating from London to New Delhi on September 22.
“Following standard operating procedures, the pilots decided to turn back and landed the aircraft safely at London Heathrow Airport,” the airline said.
The aircraft is currently undergoing maintenance checks and will resume operations after securing all necessary clearances, IndiGo added.
The airline did not disclose the exact nature of the technical problem that prompted the return.
According to Flightradar24 data, the flight took off at around 12.40 a.m. IST on Wednesday and returned to Heathrow at around 2 a.m.
IndiGo said it was taking all possible measures to minimise inconvenience to passengers, including providing hotel accommodation and arranging seats on the next available flights to help them reach their destination with minimum delay.
“The safety of our customers, crew, and aircraft remains our top priority,” the airline said.
IndiGo is India’s largest domestic airline, though its market share declined in August 2026. Data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) showed that the airline carried 78.87 lakh passengers during the month, accounting for 65 per cent of the domestic market, compared with 67.4 per cent in July.