Suddenly ‘smoke’ alarm started sounding in the air, chaos created at Lucknow airport; 148 passengers rescued safely:

Lucknow/Delhi: There was a stir during the journey in the sky when suddenly an alarm of ‘smoke’ was sounded in an Air India Express flight. As soon as flight number IX-1523, which was flying from Bagdogra, West Bengal to Delhi, noticed a technical fault and smoke, the pilot immediately issued a ‘Mayday’ call. Keeping in mind the safety of the passengers, the plane was immediately diverted towards Lucknow and its emergency landing was made in the evening.

Smoke seen in avionics bay, pilot took a big decision

According to the information received, when the Airbus A-320 aircraft was in the air, the crew members saw smoke in its electronic system part i.e. ‘Avionics Bay’. As soon as the smoke was reported, an atmosphere of tension was created inside the flight. The pilot followed safety protocols without any delay and contacted Lucknow Air Traffic Control (ATC) seeking permission for an emergency landing. The plane landed safely on the runway of Lucknow airport at around 5.18 pm on Monday evening.

148 passengers narrowly escaped death and were evacuated safely.

There were a total of 148 passengers including 6 crew members on board this flight. Tight security arrangements were made at the airport at the time of landing. As soon as the plane stopped, all the passengers were taken out safely, after which the passengers heaved a sigh of relief. An Air India Express spokesperson said that for the convenience of the passengers, refreshments were arranged at the airport and alternative flights were arranged to take them to their destination (Delhi).

Incidents of technical faults in planes are continuously increasing

The cases of technical glitches during air travel are not showing any signs of stopping. Recently, an Indigo flight coming from Visakhapatnam to Delhi also had to make an emergency landing due to engine failure. In the Air India Express case, a team of experts is now examining the plane to find out the real cause of the smoke. It was fortunate that a major accident was averted due to the pilot’s wisdom.