An IndiGo flight en route to Srinagar made an emergency landing in Varanasi on Wednesday, reportedly following a "technical malfunction".
The A320neo IndiGo aircraft, which departed from Kolkata with 166 passengers on board, made a precautionary emergency landing after it raised an alarm for fuel leakage.
"IndiGo flight 6E 6961, operating from Kolkata to Srinagar, made a precautionary landing at Varanasi airport due to a suspected technical issue. As a safety measure, the aircraft has been grounded for necessary checks, and an alternate aircraft has been arranged to continue the journey," the airline said in a statement.
According to Varanasi police, the pilots alerted Air Traffic Control at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi soon after they noticed the fuel leak alarm. The ATC immediately granted permission and the crew successfully landed the aircraft under controlled conditions.
However, sources in the know of developments said it was a "false alarm". "Malfunctioning of a sensor in the aircraft led to a false alarm of fuel leakage, following which the plane landed in Varanasi," sources told PTI.
