IndiGo Flight Lands Safely in Chennai After Left Engine Fails Mid-Air
Chennai, Tamil Nadu: An IndiGo flight from Kolkata to Chennai landed safely at Chennai Airport on Wednesday night after the aircraft's left engine became inoperative mid-air, according to the Chennai Airport Authority. The incident prompted a full emergency declaration, though all 224 persons on board landed without incident.
The aircraft, operating as flight 6E-723, was en route from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (Kolkata) to Chennai International Airport when the crew reported a left engine inoperative condition. Airport authorities declared a 'Full Emergency' at 11:29 PM IST, mobilising emergency response teams as a precautionary measure.
The flight touched down on Runway 25 at 11:37 PM IST, just seven minutes after the emergency was declared. The scheduled arrival time for the flight was 11:30 PM IST. According to a statement from the Chennai Airport Authority, the aircraft landed safely with 224 persons on board.
The full emergency was formally withdrawn at 11:47 PM IST, and all airport operations returned to normal. The statement confirmed that necessary emergency response arrangements were initiated to facilitate the safe arrival of the aircraft.
IndiGo, India's largest airline, has not yet issued a separate statement on the matter. However, the airline is expected to follow standard safety protocols, including an inspection of the affected engine before the aircraft is returned to service.
This incident comes a month after another IndiGo flight, operating from Dubai to Mumbai, was forced to make an unscheduled emergency landing at Gujarat's Rajkot Airport. In that case, pilots received an alert indicating smoke in the aircraft's lower cargo hold. The crew declared an emergency and requested priority landing clearance, with fire tenders and medical units deployed as a precaution.
Aviation experts point out that twin-engine aircraft are designed to operate safely on one engine, and pilots undergo rigorous training to handle such situations. The safe outcome of Wednesday's incident highlights the effectiveness of these protocols and the professionalism of the flight crew.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is expected to review the incident as part of standard procedures. While engine failures are rare, they are generally manageable, and investigations will focus on the cause of the malfunction, maintenance history, and the crew's response.
Passengers on both flights have expressed relief at the safe landings. Authorities have not reported any injuries or damage.
