IndiGo Flight from Kolkata to Srinagar Makes Emergency Landing in Varanasi After Mid-Air Fuel Leak

Srinagar, Oct 24: An IndiGo flight (6E6961) operating from Kolkata to Srinagar made an emergency landing at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi on Thursday after the aircraft developed a mid-air fuel leak while cruising at 36,000 feet. All 166 passengers and crew members on board are safe, officials confirmed.

An IndiGo official said the incident occurred when the flight crew detected a possible fuel leak and immediately alerted the Air Traffic Control (ATC). Acting swiftly, the pilot sought emergency clearance and diverted the aircraft to Varanasi, where all safety protocols were activated ahead of landing.

“The pilot noticed a technical anomaly related to fuel flow and decided to divert as a precautionary measure. The aircraft landed safely and all passengers were deboarded without incident,” the official said. Emergency response teams and fire tenders were placed on standby during the landing.

Passengers were later accommodated inside the terminal building as engineers began inspecting the aircraft to identify the nature and source of the leak.

Notably, this is the second Srinagar-bound IndiGo flight to encounter a technical issue in recent weeks. Earlier, flight 6E6962 from Jammu to Srinagar was grounded after developing a technical fault before departure.