An Abu Dhabi-bound IndiGo flight was forced to return to Kochi early on Saturday after developing a technical snag mid-air, according to PTI sources. The flight, 6E-1403, carrying over 180 passengers and six crew members, had departed Kochi at 11:10 pm on Friday but was diverted back, landing safely at 1:44 am on Saturday.
Passengers were later accommodated on another IndiGo aircraft, which took off for Abu Dhabi around 3:30 am. A fresh set of crew members operated the onward flight as the original crew had exceeded flight duty time limits. Sources added that passengers reached their destination safely with minimal disruption. Flight tracking platform Flightradar24.com showed that the affected aircraft was an Airbus A320 neo. IndiGo has yet to issue an official statement.
Earlier Incident: Bird Strike on Nagpur-Kolkata Flight
This incident comes just days after another IndiGo flight, operating from Nagpur to Kolkata, had to return to Nagpur following a bird strike soon after take-off on September 2. The flight, with about 160–165 passengers on board, landed safely.
In a statement, the airline confirmed: “IndiGo flight 6E 812 operating from Nagpur to Kolkata encountered a bird strike soon after take-off. As a precautionary step, pilots decided to turn back and the flight landed safely at the Nagpur airport.”
The aircraft was grounded for mandatory inspection and maintenance, and the flight was cancelled for the day. IndiGo said it provided refreshments, alternate arrangements, or a full refund to passengers to minimise inconvenience.
