'Landed with 1-2 minutes of fuel left, some were puking': Passenger after IndiGo diverts to Chandigarh after low fuel warning, airline apologises

An IndiGo flight traveling from Ayodhya to Delhi on Saturday, April 13, was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Chandigarh due to low fuel, raising concerns about passenger safety and potential violations of aviation protocols.

The incident, which has been widely reported on social media, involved IndiGo flight 6E2702. Satish Kumar, a passenger on the flight and Deputy Commissioner of Police, shared his harrowing experience on social media. According to Kumar, the flight was scheduled for a short trip, departing Ayodhya at 3:25 PM and arriving in Delhi by 4:30 PM.

However, the situation took a turn for the worse mid-air. "The pilot announced that we had to hold due to air traffic congestion near Delhi," Kumar recounted in his post. "He informed us that we had 45 minutes of holding fuel."

According to Kumar, the pilot told passengers at 4:15 PM that the plane had 45 minutes of holding fuel. However, after two unsuccessful landing attempts and what Kumar described as "wasted time" deciding on what to do, the pilot finally announced at 5:30 PM, 75 minutes after the holding fuel announcement, that they would divert to Chandigarh.

"By that time, a lot of passengers and one of the crew staff started puking out of panic," Kumar said.

"The plane finally managed to land at Chandigarh Airport at 6:10 PM, 115 minutes after the announcement about having 45 minutes of holding fuel. Got to know after landing that we landed in the nick of time, with only 1 or 2 minutes of fuel left, from the crew staff," he claimed.

Kumar's account has sparked serious questions about IndiGo's adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for low-fuel situations. He tagged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation in his post, urging them to investigate the incident and determine if SOPs were followed.

Retired pilot Shakti Lumba referred to the incident as a "serious safety violation" by IndiGo and urged the DGCA to investigate.

 "After two missed approaches, a diversion is mandatory," Lumba wrote on X. "Still holding instead of diverting and then landing allegedly on fumes is a gross safety violation. The Captain has no business being in command if the report is correct."

Social media users have highlighted Flightradar data, indicating only one missed approach and go-around, followed by a cancelled second approach and an immediate diversion to Chandigarh.

IndiGo apologised for the unfortunate incident. "IndiGo flight 6E 2702 operating between Ayodhya and Delhi on April 13th was diverted to Chandigarh due to bad weather in Delhi. The captain executed a go-around which is in line with the standard operating procedure. This is an absolutely safe maneuver. The aircraft had sufficient fuel at all times to divert to an alternate airport, as per regulations. Safety of our esteemed passengers is of prime importance to us. We regret any inconvenience that may have been caused due to factors beyond the airline’s control," the airline said in a statement.