Bengaluru: A Bengaluru-to-Goa IndiGo flight was forced to return and make an emergency landing at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Tuesday, October 8, after bad weather and low fuel issues disrupted the journey.
Flight 6E 6168, which took off from Bengaluru at 5:50 pm, was expected to land at Dabolim Airport, Goa, by 6:45 pm, as per a Moneycontrol report. However, due to severe weather conditions in Goa, the flight was diverted back to Bengaluru. At around 7:45 pm, the Airbus A321 made an emergency landing at KIA, reportedly due to low fuel after circling in the air.
A source at Bengaluru airport confirmed, "The flight was diverted due to bad weather in Goa and made an emergency landing at KIA due to low fuel." The flight, which had 222 passengers on board, eventually reached Goa later than expected, landing at Dabolim Airport around 11 pm, causing significant inconvenience for travellers. IndiGo has not yet commented on the incident.
Multiple Flights Affected by Adverse Weather
A senior official at Goa International Airport explained that heavy rains, thunderstorms, and lightning had affected flight operations on October 8. A total of five commercial flights were diverted due to the poor weather. Of these, two were redirected to Hyderabad and three to Bengaluru. Normal operations at Goa airport resumed around 12:10 am on Wednesday as the weather conditions improved.
Flight Disruptions Continue in Goa
The disruption is part of a broader trend, with adverse weather conditions affecting flight schedules to Goa. Qatar Airways, for example, announced earlier that it would move its Goa operations from Dabolim to the new North Goa airport from June 2024.
These weather-related disruptions highlight the challenges faced by airlines during monsoon seasons, as airports in regions like Goa are prone to delays and diversions due to thunderstorms and heavy rainfall.