IndiGo flight diverted to Bengaluru as firecracker smoke reduces Chennai visibility
An Airbus A321 Neo carrying 78 passengers was diverted after visibility dropped below the required 950 metres at Chennai airport.
An IndiGo flight from Raipur was diverted to Bengaluru late on Sunday night after smoke from Diwali firecrackers reduced visibility at Chennai International Airport, according to The New Indian Express and Moneycontrol.
IndiGo flight 6E2002, an Airbus A321 Neo carrying 78 passengers, was scheduled to land at 10.45 pm. The pilot diverted the aircraft to Bengaluru at 11.15 pm after finding that visibility during the approach was below the minimum required for landing on runway 07.
Airport authorities stated that visibility had dropped to approximately 900 metres, while the minimum runway visual range required for landing on runway 07 is 950 metres. The diversion was a precautionary decision taken by the pilot based on these conditions.
The smoke from firecrackers, particularly in residential areas like Meenambakkam, affected landings and take-offs. ETV Bharat reported that 26 flights were delayed, including 11 arriving flights from locations such as Kolkata, Delhi, Pune, Sri Lanka, Bangkok, Thiruvananthapuram, Singapore, Raipur, Siliguri, Tiruchirappalli, and Kuala Lumpur.
Fifteen departures were also delayed, with destinations including Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram, Delhi, Pune, Tiruchirappalli, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Abu Dhabi. At 11 pm, Chennai’s air quality index was measured at 1,463, compared to 253 in Bengaluru.
The aircraft, registration VT-ILJ, eventually flew back to Chennai and landed at 1.54 am once visibility improved.