NEW DELHI — Passengers and crew were safely evacuated from a Chennai-bound IndiGo flight at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Tuesday after smoke was spotted while the aircraft was taxiing for departure.
IndiGo flight 6E 6017 from Bengaluru to Chennai was moving toward the runway when smoke was noticed inside the aircraft, according to the airline. The pilot halted the plane immediately, and an emergency evacuation was carried out as a safety precaution.
Airport fire brigade teams and technical officials inspected the aircraft after the incident, which briefly caused panic among passengers at the airport.
“On May 26, while IndiGo flight 6E 6017 from Bengaluru to Chennai was taxing out to runway for departure, smoke was noticed in the aircraft. In the interest of safety, an immediate evacuation was carried out and all the relevant authorities were informed,” an IndiGo spokesperson said.
The airline said all passengers and crew members were safe and had been moved back to the terminal, where they were assisted by airport and airline staff.
“All customers and crew are safe and have been moved to the terminal, where they are being attended to by our teams to ensure their well-being. An alternate aircraft has been arranged to operate the flight which will depart shortly and refreshments are being served to the customers to ease their wait time,” the spokesperson said.
The cause of the smoke was not immediately known. Technical teams were examining the aircraft.
“At IndiGo, the safety of our customers and crew remains our top priority,” the spokesperson said. (Source: IANS)
