Delhi-bound AI Express flight makes emergency landing in Lucknow after smoke alert

An Air India Express flight travelling from Varanasi to Delhi made an emergency landing in Lucknow on Thursday after the crew received indications of possible smoke in the aircraft's cargo hold.However, after the Delhi-bound flight, IX 1253, landed at the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow, no smoke could be visually observed during an inspection by the airport's emergency response team.All 155 passengers and crew members disembarked safely in Lucknow. 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." The incident came two days after the crew of a Goa-Delhi IndiGo flight reported a mid-air engine failure and subsequently made an emergency landing at the Goa airport.The matter had prompted the Air Traffic Control (ATC) to briefly declare a full emergency. The IndiGo flight, 6E 2102, had departed from Goa at 9.16 am on Tuesday and began returning to the airport after an issue with one of its engines was reported.The ATC declared a full emergency around 9.30 am as the aircraft was routed back to Goa for a safe landing.The plane landed safely in Goa, following which ATC terminated the full emergency at 10.03 am. All passengers disembarked safely and were accommodated in the boarding area."A technical issue was detected, shortly after takeoff on IndiGo flight 6E 2102 operating from North Goa to Delhi today. Following the standard operating procedure, the relevant authorities were informed, and the pilots turned back and landed the aircraft safely at Manohar International Airport. The aircraft is currently undergoing maintenance checks and will resume operations after securing all necessary clearances," an IndiGo spokesperson said following the emergency landing.- EndsPublished On: Sep 3, 2026 11:25 IST