BENGALURU: Passengers on board IndiGo flight 6E 6858 from Kempegowda International Airport to Mangaluru had a troubled morning on Monday after the aircraft was forced to return to Bengaluru owing to poor visibility at Mangaluru International Airport.
The flight, originally scheduled to depart at 5.45 am, was delayed by about 45 minutes after the captain received information that low-lying clouds had reduced visibility in Mangaluru. Passengers were informed about the situation after boarding. Following updates of some improvement in weather conditions, the aircraft eventually took off from Bengaluru.
As the flight approached Mangaluru, the situation worsened once again, with thick clouds covering the runway area. The captain decided to hover over Mangaluru for nearly 20 minutes in the hope of a clearance. However, as visibility did not improve and after utilising the fuel reserved for hovering, the captain opted to divert the flight back to Bengaluru.
The flight made a safe landing at Kempegowda International Airport at 8.16 am. It was to originally land at Mangalore at 6.55 am.
Crew said passenger safety was given top priority and the decision to return was taken in accordance with aviation safety norms. Mangaluru airport, located between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, often faces weather-related challenges during the monsoon season, particularly low visibility caused by thick cloud cover.