IndiGo flight aborts take-off at Lucknow Airport due to unusual situation | Details here

New Delhi:

An unusual situation occurred at Lucknow Airport on Thursday when an IndiGo aircraft heading to Raipur was forced to halt its take-off after the pilots spotted monkeys crossing the runway. Airport officials said flight 6E 6521, carrying nearly 150 passengers, had already gained momentum and covered close to a third of the runway around 9 am when the movement of animals came into view, news agency PTI reported.

The cockpit crew immediately discontinued the take-off and notified air traffic control. The aircraft then taxied back safely. Due to the high thrust used during the attempt, a considerable amount of fuel was consumed, which required refuelling before the plane could depart again nearly an hour later. The delay also disrupted the departure timings of a few other flights at the airport.

Prior warning from another flight

An Air India Express aircraft that had landed minutes earlier had already informed airport authorities about monkeys being spotted near the runway, PTI reported citing sources. Despite the alert, the IndiGo flight was next in sequence for departure and had to abandon its take-off when the animals moved onto the runway itself.

Runway cleared, ops back to normal

Following the incident, the airport's wildlife management team initiated standard procedures to clear the area. Once the runway was secured, regular operations resumed without further disruption. Aviation experts noted that situations like this mainly lead to fuel wastage and delays but emphasised that in this instance there was no safety threat as the pilot responded quickly and avoided any possible danger.

Dubai-bound passenger held at Lucknow airport 

In a separate incident, a 22-year-old passenger was detained at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow after a country-made pistol was recovered from his baggage during security screening on Friday, police said. The accused, Mahesh Kumar Chauhan, a resident of Gonda district, was scheduled to travel to Dubai on an Air India Express flight (IX-193) when the weapon was detected in his hold baggage, they added. 

According to police, the recovery was made during routine security scanning, following which airport authorities informed the Sarojini Nagar police station. A complaint was lodged by an airport official, leading to the registration of a case under the relevant provisions of the Arms Act.

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