Assam: IndiGo flight to Guwahati makes emergency landing in Bangladesh

On January 13, 2024, an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Guwahati was compelled to make an emergency landing at Dhaka airport in Bangladesh due to dense fog. 

The flight, originally scheduled to land in Guwahati, Assam, found itself over 400 kilometres away from its intended destination as visibility issues prevented a safe descent at the Guwahati airport. 

Among the passengers was former Mumbai Youth Congress chief Suraj Singh Thakur, who was travelling to join the Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra in Imphal. He shared his experience on social media, revealing that passengers were stranded inside the aircraft for over 9 hours due to the unexpected diversion and subsequent landing in Dhaka, which led to an unusual situation where they crossed an international border without their passports.

Another passenger, in a post on X,  said the 178 passengers had been waiting for over four hours for another crew to fly back to their destination. 

"IndiGo6E stuck inside aircraft with 178 passengers for  9 hours now, flying 6E 5319 from Mumbai to Guwahati. We made a landing in Dhaka around 4am because of lower visibility in the North East. We have been waiting for another crew for 4 hours now, can we please expedite?," he wrote.

The airline responded to the post saying the flight was diverted due to bad weather but did not specify when the flight will leave the Bangladesh capital.

"Hi, we truly regret the inconvenience caused to you. The flight was diverted due to bad weather which is beyond our control too. Our team is working to assist the passengers to the best of their capabilities. We sincerely look forward to your understanding," it wrote.

The incident underscores the challenges that pilots and airlines face when confronted with adverse weather conditions such as dense fog, which can significantly impact flight schedules and safety. 

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The incident underscores the challenges that pilots and airlines face when confronted with adverse weather conditions such as dense fog, which can significantly impact flight schedules and safety. 

Emergency landings, while inconvenient, are a critical response to potential hazards and are executed to ensure the safety of all on board. IndiGo had not issued a formal statement regarding the incident at the time of reporting.