IndiGo Airlines faced back-to-back technical challenges this week, raising fresh concerns over the operational reliability of its Airbus A321neo fleet.
Flight 6E 813 operating from Goa to Indore was forced to make an emergency landing on Monday, after a suspected hydraulic malfunction in its wheel system triggered an undercarriage warning mid-air.
The aircraft departed Goa’s Dabolim Airport at 3:14 p.m. and was approaching Indore when the pilot alerted Air Traffic Control about the irregular hydraulic response linked to the landing gear. As a precaution, the plane circled Indore’s airspace seven to eight times while emergency response units were mobilised on the ground.
Fire brigades, medical teams, and airport officials were deployed along the runway, anticipating a potentially hazardous landing. The aircraft touched down safely at 5:08 p.m., with all 140 passengers and crew members reported unharmed. This marks the second such scare within 24 hours for the carrier.
On Sunday evening, flight 6E 6591 from Tirupati to Hyderabad encountered a separate technical snag shortly after take-off. According to flight tracking data from FlightRadar24, the plane left Tirupati Airport at 7:42 p.m., but was forced to circle overhead before landing back at 8:34 p.m. That flight, also an A321neo and the last scheduled service from Tirupati to Hyderabad for the day, was cancelled.
IndiGo has yet to offer a comprehensive statement regarding either incident.
Aviation sources suggest both were precautionary manoeuvres prompted by cockpit alerts, not structural failures.
However, the proximity of two mechanical alerts involving the same aircraft model has drawn attention from civil aviation authorities, who are expected to initiate a review of maintenance protocols and alert response strategies.
Passengers on both flights have expressed relief over the crew’s handling of the situations, while aviation observers await official explanations from the airline and regulators regarding any underlying causes or patterns behind the sudden malfunctions.
Picture Courtesy: IANS
