Bagdogra-Delhi Air India Express Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Lucknow After Mid-Air Smoke Alert

Lucknow: A Delhi-bound Air India Express flight from Bagdogra in Siliguri was forced to make an emergency landing at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow after a smoke alert. 

The flight, IX1523, operated by an Airbus A320, was diverted on Monday evening after the pilot issued a ‘Mayday’ call, when smoke was detected in the avionics or aviation electronics bay.

"Prioritising safety, the crew operating one of our flights to Delhi elected to divert to Lucknow and carried out a priority landing following a smoke alert. The aircraft landed safely," an Air India Express spokesperson said.

Air Traffic Control (ATC) in Lucknow was alerted, and the aircraft landed safely at 5:18 pm. There were 148 people on board, including six crew members. All passengers were safely evacuated after landing.

The aircraft was declared “Aircraft on Ground” (AOG), a technical term indicating it has been grounded due to a fault requiring immediate inspection and repairs before it can operate again.

Passengers were either accommodated on alternative flights, offered full refunds, or provided hotel stays and rebooked on subsequent services. The aircraft remains parked at the Lucknow airport.

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