Guwahati-bound IndiGo flight diverted to Dhaka due to bad weather
A Guwahati-bound flight of IndiGo was diverted to Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Saturday after bad weather conditions disrupted its scheduled landing. The flight (6E 5319), which eventually landed in Dhaka, was heading to Guwahati from Mumbai but was forced to reroute. According to reports, the flight was scheduled to depart from Mumbai at 8:20pm on Friday, but it departed around 11:20pm after a three-hour delay.
Alternate landing failed in Kolkalta too: Reports
The Hindustan Times reported that the IndiGo flight attempted an alternate landing in Kolkata, West Bengal, as well. However, it failed due to the bad weather conditions. Its diversion plan was further complicated as the Bhubaneswar Airport's runway, where the flight was redirected, was also closed. Meanwhile, IndiGo said it was arranging for new crew members to operate the flight from Dhaka to Guwahati.
IndiGo issues statement after incident
Detailing the incident, IndiGo said in a statement that the flight was diverted to Dhaka due to bad weather in Guwahati. "Due to operational reasons, an alternate set of crew is being arranged to operate the flight from Dhaka to Guwahati. The passengers were kept informed of updates and were served with refreshments on board. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused," it said.
Passengers stranded for hours
Following the diversion, some passengers expressed their dismay on social media. A flier wrote, "Stuck inside aircraft with 178 passengers for 9 hours now, flying 6E 5319 from Mumbai to Guwahati. We made a landing in Dhaka around 4:00am because of lower visibility in the North East." "We have been waiting for another crew for 4 hours now, can we please expedite?" they said.
Watch: Visuals inside diverted plane
Incident 'beyond our control': IndiGo responds to complaints
Former Mumbai Youth Congress chief Suraj Singh Thakur, one of the fliers, wrote on X the passengers were stuck in the plane as they were in Bangladesh without their passports. In response, IndiGo said the incident was beyond their control, adding its team was working to assist the passengers to the best of their capabilities. Later on Saturday, Thakur claimed they have reached Guwahati.
