Mid-Air Smoke Alert Forces Air India Express Varanasi-Delhi Flight To Make Precautionary Landing

Lucknow: An Air India Express flight from Varanasi to Delhi made an unexpected landing at Lucknow airport on Thursday morning, according to sources. The incident occurred allegedly due to a smoke detection alarm that sounded in the aircraft's cargo hold. However, initial inspections at Lucknow airport revealed no evidence of smoke or fire within the aircraft, according to the sources.

The flight, Flight IX 1253, carried 155 passengers and took off from Varanasi airport around 8 am. Shortly after take-off, the smoke alarm was triggered in the cargo hold. The pilot then communicated with Lucknow Air Traffic Control (ATC) and requested permission to land. The aircraft touched down at Lucknow airport at 8:52 am. Once the aircraft landed, the response team, fire brigade personnel, and technical experts arrived at the scene.

All 155 passengers and crew members were disembarked by 9:02 am. The plane was then moved to a hangar for a thorough examination. Preliminary assessments found no signs of smoke or fire inside the aircraft. An investigation is currently underway to ascertain the cause of the smoke alarm activation.