An Indigo flight was seen making a risky attempt to land in Chennai airport on Saturday amid extremely severe weather conditions including gusty winds and heavy rains ahead of the landfall of Cyclone Fengal. In a video that went viral on social media, the plane is seen trying to land amid heavy turbulence. As the weather conditions further intensify, the plane is seen aborting the attempt and flying away.
In a statement, the airlines confirmed the incident and informed that the Mumbai-Chennai flight had to execute a "go-around" due to adverse weather conditions.
"Due to adverse weather conditions, including rain and strong, gusty winds (which later led to the closure of Chennai airport), the cockpit crew of flight 6E 683, operating between Mumbai and Chennai, executed a go-around on November 30, 2024, in accordance with established safety protocols," the statement said.
The airline added that such procedures are standard and its pilots are properly trained to handle such situations professionally.
"This is a standard and safe manoeuvre, and our pilots are extensively trained to handle such situations with the utmost professionalism. A go-around is performed when a safe landing cannot be achieved, as was the case with this flight," Indigo said.
The plane reportedly landed in Chennai around 12:40 pm on Saturday.
Cyclonic storm 'Fengal', which made landfall late Saturday, delivered Puducherry its heaviest rainfall in decades and unleashed record downpours in Tamil Nadu's coastal districts. At least three people were killed in rain-related incidents in Chennai, which experienced severe waterlogging in several parts of the city.