Indian plane with 148 passengers on board escapes midair disaster

An Indian plane escaped disaster after crew detected smoke midair and the flight made an emergency landing in Lucknow, reported Indian media on Wednesday.

The Air India IX1523 made emergency landing in Lucknow after midair smoke alert and pilot issued Mayday call after the crew detected smoke in avionics bay.

The flight, operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft, was diverted to Lucknow on Monday evening after the pilot issued a ‘Mayday’ call – an internationally recognised distress signal used in life-threatening emergencies – after the crew detected smoke in the avionics or aviation electronics bay.

Air Traffic Control (ATC) in Lucknow was alerted about the diversion, and the aircraft landed safely at 5.18 pm.

A total of 148 people, including six crew members, were on board the flight. All passengers were safely evacuated after landing.

Air India Express spokesperson said, “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, and all guests were provided refreshments on arrival. They were subsequently re-accommodated on alternative flights to Delhi."