Full emergency declared at Guwahati airport after Alliance Air flight returns midway

A “full-scale emergency” was declared at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport on Wednesday after a Kolkata-bound Alliance Air flight returned to Guwahati midway due to a technical snag, officials said.

An airport spokesperson confirmed that all passengers and crew members were safe and were provided with necessary assistance.

“Following the diversion of a GAU–CCU flight due to a technical snag, a full emergency was declared at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati, at 1:42 pm on August 20,” the spokesperson said.

According to airport sources, the flight had taken off from Guwahati at 1:09 pm for Kolkata. It landed back safely at 2:27 pm, after which the emergency was withdrawn at 2:40 pm.

“Passengers were safely deboarded and assisted by terminal staff. While the airline coordinated alternative onward travel, LGBI Airport’s terminal operations team remained on standby to provide all necessary support,” the spokesperson added.

The airport further clarified that regular operations were not affected by the incident.

In a different piece of news, a District Consumer Commission directed Alliance Air to pay Rs 50,000 to a passenger after a six-hour flight delay on June 5, 2022. The Southwest District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission noted that passengers were deboarded without water, meals, or proper information, terming the wait “mental torture.”

Complainant Mainawati Devi alleged she was to fly from Delhi to Gorakhpur for an urgent religious ceremony but faced repeated delays, lack of air conditioning, and poor communication. The panel said no evidence showed the delay was beyond the airline’s control, citing negligence in aircraft maintenance, and ordered compensation within 45 days.