IndiGo Dubai–Mumbai Flight Makes Safe Emergency Landing in Rajkot After Smoke Alert

Rajkot: An IndiGo flight en route from Dubai to Mumbai made a precautionary emergency landing at Rajkot International Airport in Gujarat on Monday after the crew received a smoke warning from the aircraft's cargo hold.

Flight 6E-1452, operated by an Airbus A321, was carrying 194 passengers and crew when the cockpit received an indication of smoke in the cargo compartment. Following standard aviation safety procedures, the pilots declared an emergency and diverted the flight to the nearest suitable airport instead of continuing to Mumbai.

Rajkot airport authorities declared a full emergency at 2:45 p.m., with fire tenders, ambulances and emergency response teams positioned on standby ahead of the aircraft's arrival.

The aircraft landed safely at 3:27 p.m., and all 194 people on board were evacuated without incident. No injuries were reported, and the emergency was withdrawn after passengers safely disembarked.

An airport official said the diversion was carried out solely as a precaution after the smoke alert was received. The aircraft will now undergo a detailed technical inspection to determine the cause of the warning.

Under international aviation safety protocols, any indication of smoke or fire in a cargo compartment is treated as a serious safety concern. Flight crews are trained to activate fire suppression systems, declare an emergency if required and land at the nearest appropriate airport to ensure passenger safety.

Officials clarified that a smoke warning does not necessarily indicate the presence of an actual fire. The exact cause can only be confirmed after engineering and safety inspections.

Authorities have not yet disclosed what triggered the cargo hold smoke indication, and no damage to the aircraft has been reported.

The aircraft remained at Rajkot for technical checks, while IndiGo was expected to make alternative travel arrangements for affected passengers.

IndiGo, India's largest airline by market share, operates flights to more than 80 domestic and over 30 international destinations. Its fleet mainly consists of Airbus A320 and A321 family aircraft, along with ATR 72-600 turboprop planes used on regional routes.

Separately, last week, IndiGo's parent company, InterGlobe Aviation, reported a consolidated net loss of ?238 crore for the first quarter of FY27, compared with a net profit of ?2,176.3 crore during the same period last year, marking a sharp decline in its financial performance.

With inputs from IANS