Rajkot: An IndiGo flight travelling from Dubai to Mumbai made an emergency landing at Rajkot International Airport in Gujarat on Monday after smoke was detected in the aircraft’s cargo hold, airport authorities said.
According to the airport management, Flight IGO 1452, carrying 194 passengers and crew members, was diverted to Rajkot after the pilot reported suspected smoke in the cargo hold area.
An emergency was declared at the airport at 2:45 pm, and the aircraft landed safely at 3:27 pm, officials said.
All passengers and crew members were evacuated safely, and no injuries were reported. Airport authorities shifted the passengers to a designated area inside the terminal while the aircraft underwent inspection.
Inspector K.P. Taretiya of the Airport Police Station said the pilot alerted Air Traffic Control (ATC) about the suspected smoke and requested permission for an emergency landing.
“The pilot suspected smoke inside the aircraft and, as a precautionary measure, made an emergency landing at Rajkot airport. The aircraft landed safely,” Taretiya said.
He added that the airline’s technical team has arrived at the airport and is examining the aircraft to determine the source of the smoke.
Officials clarified that no fire was detected on board the aircraft, and the emergency landing was carried out purely as a precautionary measure.
The cause of the suspected smoke is yet to be determined, and the aircraft remains under technical inspection.