New Delhi: There was tension at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi on Tuesday morning after the receipt of a Mayday call from the pilot of a SpiceJet flight that had taken off for Leh a few minutes earlier.
A full emergency was declared at the airport around 6.30 am and the Boeing 737 landed back safely around 6.55 am. There were around 150 passengers on board.
Officials said that flight SG-121 operating on the Delhi-Leh route reported an engine-related issue and
requested an air return. The issue was linked to a failure in engine number two during the flight, following which standard safety procedures were initiated, they said, as reported by The Indian Express.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed that the aircraft took off at 6.21 am and landed back in Delhi around 6.55 am.
“A SpiceJet flight operating from Delhi to Leh on February 24 returned to Delhi after experiencing a technical issue. The aircraft landed safely in Delhi, and all passengers disembarked normally. There was no fire warning in the cockpit,” a SpiceJet spokesperson said.
An inquiry has been ordered and the aircraft has been shifted for a thorough technical evaluation. Officials said that it will be declared fit to fly only after checks and necessary repairs – if any – are carried out.
The passengers have been accommodated suitably, the airline said.