IndiGo Flight Emergency Landing, Declares ‘Fuel Mayday’ In Bengaluru

June 22, 2025: IndiGo Flight Emergency Landing– An IndiGo flight traveling from Guwahati to Chennai was forced to make an emergency landing at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport on Thursday evening after pilots declared a rare “fuel mayday” amid severe air traffic congestion over Chennai.

Flight 6E-6764, operated by an Airbus A321 carrying 168 passengers, departed Guwahati at 4:40 PM, with a scheduled landing in Chennai at 7:45 PM. However, upon arrival at Chennai, the aircraft was unable to land due to heavy runway congestion. The pilots initiated a “go-around” maneuver after briefly touching down but could not complete the landing.

After circling in multiple holding patterns over Chennai airspace, the crew’s fuel reserves dropped to critical levels. Approximately 35 nautical miles from Bengaluru, the pilots declared a “Mayday” — signaling the highest emergency level — and diverted to Kempegowda International Airport.

Bengaluru air traffic controllers granted immediate landing priority to the aircraft, and emergency services were placed on standby. The flight landed safely at 8:15 PM, and no injuries were reported among passengers or crew.

Passengers described tense moments during the diversion. “There was panic among several people. You could feel the anxiety during those last few minutes,” shared one traveler.

Following the incident, both pilots have been temporarily removed from duty as per protocol. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation focusing on fuel management, communication, and delay handling.

This emergency highlights increasing concerns over airspace congestion in India’s busiest corridors, especially near major airports like Chennai. Aviation experts point to overburdened air traffic control systems and the lack of seamless coordination as potential contributing factors.

The incident also comes amid heightened scrutiny of aviation safety following the recent Air India Flight AI-171 crash, which tragically claimed 241 lives.

In a related event, another IndiGo flight from Chennai to Madurai reported a mid-air technical fault the next day and returned safely to Chennai, with no injuries.