Indigo Flight 6E2142 flying from Delhi to Srinagar experienced massive turbulence amid a violent hailstorm developing in the Delhi skies. Lights dimmed, seats ratting and tray-tables struggling to remain shut, the plane was aboard with more than 227 passengers which also included five MPs. Passengers took to X and shared their experience and attached videos of the airplane shaking. “I had a narrow escape while flying from Delhi to Srinagar…Hats off to the captain for the safe landing” shared a user. “A flight I’ll never forget” wrote another user on social media claiming a sudden drop of 3900 ft mid-air which left cabin crew and passengers extremely scared.

45 minutes after takeoff, the Airbus ran into bad weather. Suffering minor nose (randome) damage, the flight made a landing at 6:46 PM at the Sringar airstrip. Images of the damage and extreme turbulence were circulated across social media sharing the passengers’ “near-death experience”. While it may not be usual for passengers, they commended the pilot for handling the situation commendably. Sheikh Samiullah shared his account of this journey in an interview with PTI.

“A flight I’ll never forget”

Another user took to social media and shared “The situation was so intense even some crew members were in tears. Grateful to the pilot for regaining control.” Along with an image of the damaged Indigo airplane. A viral video vividly showed hail hitting the plane, relentlessly striking the fuselage, causing the cabin to shake violently and sparking widespread panic and distress among those on board made its rounds on social media.

In a travel advisory from Indigo issued on May 21, they announced that flights from Delhi, Chandigarh and Kolkata might be impacted due to severe weather conditions in Delhi last night. It led to a delay in several international and domestic flights at the Delhi IGI Airport. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed the weather pattern to a cyclonic circulation over Haryana and adjacent regions, part of an east-west trough.