KOLKATA: A Spicejet flight had to make an emergency landing at the Kolkata airport on Monday evening within minutes of take off after a technical glitch was detected mid-air, sources said.
Airport sources said that there were 69 people on the Bagdogra-bound plane SG- 275, including West Bengal DGP Virendra and the state's security advisor Surajit Kar Purkayastha. "All the passengers and crew members are safe," they said.
Sources said that soon after the take off, minor smoke was seen in the cabin and the fire alarm went off. "The pilots contacted Air Traffic Control (ATC) and made the emergency landing safely. An investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the glitch," they said.
They added that alternative arrangements are being made for the passengers. When asked about the incident, a SpiceJet spokesperson said, 'On February 1, SpiceJet B737 aircraft operating SG-275 (Kolkata-Bagdogra) returned back after take off after a passenger complained of foul smell.'
"The aircraft landed safely in Kolkata. After a detailed inspection by engineers, nothing unusual was found in the aircraft and there was no smoke or fire," the spokesperson added.