LUCKNOW: An Air India (AI) Express flight from Varanasi to Delhi had to make an emergency landing at Lucknow airport on Thursday morning. According to sources, a smoke alarm went off in the aircraft's cargo hold which pushed the pilot to make an emergency landing at Chaudhury Charan Singh International airport in Lucknow.
The sources claimed that as the alarm went off, the pilot immediately contacted Lucknow. The aircraft was landed after receiving clearance from Air Traffic Control (ATC). As soon as it landed, the response team took charge. Fire brigade personnel and technical experts also reached the spot and inspected the aircraft.
Flight IX 1253 took off from Varanasi airport at around 8 am on Thursday. Shortly afterwards, the smoke detection alarm in the cargo hold went off. The pilot then landed the aircraft at Lucknow airport at 8.52 am.
At 9.02 am, all 155 passengers and crew members were deboarded. After the inspection, the aircraft was parked at the apron. The initial inspection found no signs of smoke inside the aircraft. An investigation was underway to ascertain the reason for the fire alarm.
In an statement, the airline said: "Prioritising safety, the crew operating one of our Varanasi-Delhi flights elected to make a precautionary diversion to Lucknow due to a technical issue."
It added, "An alternative aircraft is being arranged on priority to connect guests to their destination."
On August 19, the tail of an IndiGo aircraft struck the ground while landing at Gorakhpur airport. The pilot, subsequently, took the aircraft back into the air. After receiving clearance from Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft landed again.