Days after Air India plane crash, Chennai-bound IndiGo flight with 168 passengers issues 'Mayday' call due to...; diverted to Bengaluru

An IndiGo flight from Guwahati to Chennai, with 168 passengers on board, made an emergency landing at the Bengaluru international airport on Thursday (June 19) after the captain gave a 'Mayday' call. Mayday is a distress call issued by aircraft, indicating a life-threatening situation and the need for immediate assistance. The distress signal was sounded due to low fuel level in the plane after the Chennai airport denied permission to land over congestion. The worrying incident comes just days after an Air India plane carrying 242 people crashed in Ahmedabad, killing almost everyone aboard.

Safe landing in Bengaluru
The pilots of Flight 6E-6764 (A321), which departed from Guwahati in Assam at 4:40 pm, attempted to land at Chennai around 7:45 pm, but failed to get the due permission. The plane then circled around the Chennai airport and eventually headed towards Bengaluru, leading to a fuel shortage. The aircraft landed safely at the Kempegowda International Airport in Benglauru shortly after 8 pm.
"After getting the distress call, the ATC (Air Traffic Control) alerted the on-ground staff members who swung into action. Medical and fire services personnel were in place. The aircraft landed safely at 8:20 pm," The Times of India reported citing sources.

Another similar incident
A similar incident took place on Friday, when a Madurai-bound Indigo flight suffered a mid-air technical snag and sought permission to fly back to Chennai. The plane, carrying nearly 70 passengers, landed safely and all the passengers were deboarded with due safety measures in place.

Ahmedabad plane crash
On June 12, An Air India plane carrying 242 people -- 230 passengers and 12 crew members -- crashed moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad international airport, killing almost everyone on board. The accident marked one of India's deadliest aviation accidents ever. The plane crashed in a residential area close to the airport and killed dozens others on the ground. Ramesh Viswashkumar, a 40-year-old British citizen of Indian origin, is the sole survivor of the tragic incident.