New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) A Delhi-bound Air India Express flight made an emergency landing in Lucknow after a mid-air smoke alert, with the pilot issuing a PAN-PAN call to report the urgency.

An Air India Express flight carrying 148 passengers was diverted to Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport after smoke was detected during the journey.

The flight was en route from Bagdogra to Delhi when the incident occurred on Monday evening.

Instead of a ‘Mayday’ distress call, the pilot issued a ‘PAN-PAN’ call, which is used to signal an urgent situation that is serious but not immediately life-threatening.

The call was made after the crew noticed smoke in the aircraft’s avionics bay, which contains critical electronic systems.

There were 148 passengers and six crew members on board, and all of them remained safe. The aircraft landed without any incident in Lucknow, and no injuries were reported.

The airline said the crew acted quickly and chose to divert the flight as a precautionary step, prioritising passenger safety.

After landing, passengers were provided refreshments and later re-accommodated on alternative flights to Delhi.

An Air India Express spokesperson confirmed the incident and said the decision to divert was taken following standard safety procedures.

The airline also apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers.

After the landing, the aircraft was declared ‘Aircraft on Ground’ (AOG), meaning it has been grounded for detailed inspection and necessary repairs. The plane is currently stationed at the Lucknow airport.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, an aircraft operated by Air India Express faced a technical issue after landing at Phuket International Airport.

The airline said on March 11 that its Hyderabad–Phuket flight experienced a problem with the aircraft’s nose wheel after landing in Thailand.

The flight, IX 938, had taken off from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and was headed to Phuket.

In a statement, Air India Express confirmed that the aircraft encountered an issue with the nose wheel upon arrival at Phuket Airport on March 11.

–IANS

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