BENGALURU: PANIC gripped passengers of a Bengaluru-bound IndiGo flight (6E-445) from Thiruvananthapuram after cabin crew noticed smoke emanating from a hand baggage. The smoke was quickly put out with a fire extinguisher, the airline officials said on Monday. The incident took place on Saturday and has been reported to the aviation regulator - the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), sources added.
A statement from IndiGo said: “IndiGo crew operating flight 6E-445 from Thiruvananthapuram to Bengaluru noticed the smoke smell in the cabin on November 11. The crew quickly identified minor sparks coming from the hat-rack of seat 24RH and immediately informed the Pilot-in-Command.
“Taking precautionary measures, the cabin crew on priority relocated all passengers from adjacent seats. Smoke from a black laptop placed in the hand baggage was discharged with a fire extinguisher, as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) prescribed by the aircraft manufacturer. The laptop was then transferred into a container filled with water in lavatory. The aircraft with 186 passengers and six crew members on board, made a normal landing at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru airport, all passengers were deplaned as per normal procedure and the DGCA was voluntarily informed.”