PUNE- India’s largest carrier IndiGo (6E) flight operated using Airbus A321 carrying close to 100 passengers from Pune (PNQ) to Bengaluru (BLR), is forced to return to Pune on Saturday morning due to a technical snag, causing a delay in its scheduled departure.
The Airbus A321 initially took off from PNQ at 7:40 am, slightly behind its planned departure time of 7:25 am. However, approximately 20 minutes into the flight, the aircraft encountered a technical problem. Subsequently prompting its return to Pune, where it landed safely.
IndiGo A321 Reported Technical Snag
Upon take-off, the aircraft had reached an altitude of around 800 feet before commencing a circular flight path around the city, eventually landing back in Pune. The airline officials have not disclosed the specific nature of the technical problem encountered.
Nevertheless, sources within the airline, which currently operates over 50% of flights from Pune, confirmed that all passengers were taken care of during the delay, which lasted approximately two hours.
The same aircraft later departed for Bengaluru, carrying the passengers as planned.
Flight and Aircraft Details
According to Flight Radar 24, the IndiGo flight 6E391 took off from PNQ at around 2:10 AM UTC (7:40 AM IST). Shortly after takeoff, the flight faced some technical issues, which could be anything from engine issues to system malfunction.
But it can be a serious issue as the aircraft landed immediately at around 2:28 AM UTC without dumping any extra fuel. We suspect it might have been issues with the flight display or altimeter systems, as FR24 received inaccurate data.
Nevertheless, the flight involving Airbus A321neo registered as VT-IMR, landed safely at PNQ. As per the planespotters.net data, the aircraft is only one year and two months old. Subsequently, Airbus delivered the plane to 6E on Jun 1, 2023.
Apologies Issued by the Airline
Passengers, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the airline’s lack of communication regarding the decision to return to Pune.
Some passengers took to social media platforms to voice their concerns, with one individual stating, “No updates shared by the crew… just that it would take 45 minutes… passengers are still seated patiently… I fear after 45 minutes they will say we need to accommodate you on another aircraft/airline…”
In response to these concerns, the airline issued an apology, acknowledging that unforeseen challenges can disrupt operations.
The airline representative assured the passengers that the revised departure time for the Bengaluru flight was set for 9 am.
When questioned by TOI, the airline officials did not provide details regarding whether passengers were transferred to the terminal building in Pune after the flight landed or were required to remain onboard the aircraft during the delay.
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