Kolkata: Thunderstorms that swept across south and north Bengal on Wednesday evening led to an unusual diversion of a domestic flight to an international airport. Typically, domestic flights are rerouted to another Indian airport during emergencies.
Flight Details and Initial Journey
Air India Express flight IX 1179, operating from Delhi to Bagdogra, departed from Delhi at 5:20 pm with approximately 85 passengers on board. It was scheduled to land at Bagdogra at 7:20 pm. However, en route, the aircraft encountered treacherous weather conditions, forcing the captain to alter the course.
Detour and Decision to Divert
The flight first moved southeast toward Palamu in Jharkhand, then headed northeast to Darbhanga in Bihar. During this detour, the captain received a message that heavy rain at Bagdogra was making flight operations challenging. Having already consumed extra fuel due to the detour, the captain circled over Darbhanga before deciding to divert to Kolkata.
Aborted Landing in Kolkata
The aircraft approached Kolkata around 7:40 pm and descended to 200 feet, but inclement weather forced an aborted landing and a go-around. For the next 40 minutes, the captain hovered over the city, hoping for an improvement in weather conditions.
Final Diversion to Dhaka
With the storm intensifying over Kolkata and fuel levels running low, the captain decided at around 8:20 pm to divert to Dhaka, Bangladesh. After one hour and ten minutes, the Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft touched down safely in Dhaka.
An airline source stated, “We had contacted the airport authority in Dhaka and sought permission for the flight diversion. As a group, we operate from the Dhaka station, and hence, have the support of ground staff. Upon landing, the aircraft was refuelled while waiting for the weather to improve over Bagdogra.”
Arrival at Bagdogra
The weather finally improved around 1:10 am Dhaka time (12:40 am India time), and the plane took off with passengers who were at the end of their tether. The aircraft landed at Bagdogra at 1:29 am, over six hours behind schedule.
