IndiGo flight aborts takeoff in Ahmedabad due to technical snag

New Delhi, July 23 (IANS) In another safety scare for IndiGo, a flight from Ahmedabad to Diu carrying 60 passengers had to abort takeoff on Wednesday, due to a technical snag.

The incident occurred at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport just before 11 am, prompting an emergency response and passenger evacuation.

Fortunately, all passengers and crew were safely evacuated without any injuries, the airline said.

The flight, IndiGo 6E7966, was operating with an ATR 72-600 aircraft. During the takeoff roll, the pilot noticed abnormal indications from the aircraft's right engine.

Following safety protocols, the flight crew immediately aborted takeoff and issued a Mayday call, alerting ground emergency teams.

The aircraft was safely brought to a halt, and emergency personnel arrived quickly at the scene. Passengers were evacuated using emergency slides.

IndiGo confirmed the issue was a technical malfunction and stated that the aircraft would be thoroughly inspected and maintained before returning to service.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation into the incident as part of a broader inquiry into recent technical issues faced by Indian airlines.

This marks the third such incident involving IndiGo in recent days. Just two days earlier, on July 21, IndiGo flight 6E 813 from Goa to Indore made an emergency landing due to a suspected hydraulic issue in the wheel system.

The pilot had detected an undercarriage warning mid-air, causing the aircraft to circle Indore’s airspace before landing safely.

Fire brigades, medical teams, and airport officials were deployed along the runway, anticipating a potentially hazardous landing.

The aircraft touched down safely at 5:08 p.m., with all 140 passengers and crew members reported unharmed.

On July 20, another IndiGo flight (6E 6591) from Tirupati to Hyderabad was forced to return shortly after takeoff due to a technical snag, and the flight was cancelled after a safe landing.

--IANS

pk/vd