IndiGo Flight's Foggy Ordeal: 5-Hour Aerial Circle Ends in Mumbai Return
Around 180 weary passengers experienced a night of unexpected turmoil. Their IndiGo flight circled the skies for nearly five hours, hoping to land in Chandigarh. Instead, dense fog forced the aircraft to return to Mumbai in the early hours. This routine journey turned into a chaotic episode filled with protests and detours.
Flight Details and Timeline of the Disruption
IndiGo flight 6E6715 operates daily from Mumbai to Chandigarh. It was scheduled to depart Mumbai at 8:20 PM and land in Chandigarh at 10:25 PM. On Monday, the flight took off more than an hour late, leaving Mumbai at 9:39 PM. As it approached Chandigarh, extremely low visibility caused by dense fog prevented landing. The flight diverted and eventually returned to Mumbai, touching down at 2:19 AM. Passengers remained airborne for 4 hours and 48 minutes.
Passenger Accounts of Chaos and Inconvenience
City-based chartered accountant Rachit Goyal was among the passengers. He stated that they had already informed airline officials about the fog conditions in Chandigarh. Despite this warning, the airline operated the flight late and then diverted it back to Mumbai. Passengers spent the entire night travelling without reaching their destination.
Another passenger, Manuj Sharma, described the chaos at Mumbai airport after the flight returned. He claimed that passengers protested strongly following the unexpected diversion. IndiGo arranged alternative travel by sending passengers to Delhi on different flights at the same fare. Sharma boarded a flight from Mumbai at 7:05 AM and reached Delhi around 9 AM. From Delhi, passengers had to arrange their own transport to Chandigarh, travelling by road in taxis at their own expense.
Widespread Disruptions in Air and Rail Services
Dense fog and mist continued to disrupt air traffic in the region on Tuesday as well. Flight operations at Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport were severely affected. Seven flights were cancelled, and several others faced delays. Visibility at the airport was reported to be around 600 metres in the morning hours.
Cancelled departing flights included:
- 6E5261 to Mumbai
- 6E2315 to Delhi
- 6E867 to Hyderabad
- 6E6742 to Delhi
- 6E7743 to Jaipur
Cancelled arriving flights included:
- 6E2316 from Delhi
- 6E7742 from Jaipur
Rail services also felt the impact of foggy conditions. The Vande Bharat train from Delhi to Chandigarh arrived about one hour late. The Shatabdi Express from Delhi reached Chandigarh 1 hour and 45 minutes behind schedule instead of its scheduled arrival at 10:55 AM. The Sadbhavna Express was delayed by around 1 hour and 15 minutes.
This incident highlights the significant disruptions caused by adverse weather conditions. It underscores the challenges faced by airlines and passengers during the winter fog season in northern India.
