An IndiGo flight en route from Guwahati to Chennai was forced to make an emergency landing at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport on Thursday night after the pilot issued a Mayday call due to insufficient fuel, according to media reports.
The flight, numbered 6E-6764 and operated by an Airbus A321, had taken off from Guwahati at 4:40 pm and attempted to land in Chennai at around 7:45 pm. However, during the landing, the aircraft reportedly performed a balked landing — a maneuver where the pilot aborts the landing even after the landing gear touches the runway. Instead of making a second landing attempt in Chennai, the pilot decided to divert to Bengaluru.
According to a report in The Times of India, the pilot sent out a Mayday distress call approximately 35 nautical miles from Bengaluru, citing an “unstabilised approach” and low fuel. The sudden and steep climb after aborting the landing reportedly left many of the 168 passengers on edge, with one passenger describing the moment as “scary.”
Sources at the Bengaluru Air Traffic Control (ATC) said the distress call triggered immediate action. Emergency response teams, including medical and fire services, were deployed on the ground. The aircraft landed safely at 8:20 pm.
Though media reports claim that both pilots have been taken off the flying roster pending investigation, IndiGo has not issued an official statement on the incident or crew status as of now.
What is a Mayday Call?
A Mayday call is an internationally recognized distress signal used in aviation and maritime operations to communicate a life-threatening emergency. Derived from the French phrase “m’aidez” (“help me”), it is repeated three times — “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday” — to ensure clarity and immediate response. False or frivolous Mayday calls are considered a serious violation due to the critical resources they mobilize.
Authorities are expected to launch a probe into the incident to understand what led to the fuel emergency and evaluate the decisions taken by the cockpit crew.