Guwahati-Chennai IndiGo Flight Diverted To Bengaluru After Fuel Emergency: ‘Mayday’

The IndiGo flight had initially departed Guwahati at 4:40 PM and attempted to land in Chennai around 7:45 PM.

After a brief touchdown, the pilot diverted the plane to Bengaluru.

Source : PTI

An IndiGo flight en route from Guwahati to Chennai was forced to make an emergency landing at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport on Friday evening after a fuel emergency was declared mid-air. The Airbus A321 aircraft, operating as flight 6E-6764, was carrying 168 passengers. 

Later, the captain issued a distress 'Mayday' call following critically low fuel levels, as per a report on Times of India.

The flight had initially departed Guwahati at 4:40 p.m. and attempted to land in Chennai around 7:45 p.m. However, after a brief touchdown, the pilot diverted the plane to Bengaluru, reported India Today. The aircraft landed safely, and no injuries were reported. IndiGo has yet to issue an official comment.

In a separate incident earlier that day, another IndiGo flight, 6E-2006 from Delhi to Leh, was forced to return to Delhi after encountering technical issues mid-flight.

Civil Aviation Ministry Reviews Safety Measures 

The back-to-back incidents have added to concerns over aerial operational reliability and safety. In response, the Civil Aviation Ministry convened a high-level review meeting on Thursday. According to official sources, as quoted by PTI, the review covered safety protocols, aircraft maintenance standards, and service reliability amid increasing disruptions in the aviation sector.

The ministry’s intervention comes in the wake of mounting scrutiny following a catastrophic accident on June 12, when Air India flight AI171 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad en route to London. The crash claimed the lives of nearly all 242 passengers and crew onboard, along with 29 civilians on the ground, after the aircraft collided with a local healthcare facility in the Meghaninagar area.

What Is 'Mayday'?

The term "Mayday" is an internationally recognized distress signal used mainly in aviation and maritime emergencies. It indicates that an aircraft or vessel is in a life-threatening situation and requires immediate assistance. The distress call is usually repeated three times—"Mayday, Mayday, Mayday"—to ensure clarity and prevent confusion with regular radio communication.