Air India Express flight makes emergency landing in Lucknow; 155 passengers and crew evacuated
An Air India Express flight from Varanasi to Delhi made an emergency landing in Lucknow after a smoke alarm was triggered in the cargo area. All 155 passengers and crew were safe
PTC Web Desk: An Air India Express flight travelling from Varanasi to Delhi made an emergency landing at Lucknow airport on Thursday morning after a smoke detection alarm went off in the aircraft’s cargo area.
The flight, IX 1253, took off from Varanasi airport at around 8 am. Shortly after take-off, the aircraft’s smoke detection system reportedly issued an alert from the cargo section.
The pilot immediately contacted Lucknow Air Traffic Control (ATC) and sought permission to land. The aircraft touched down safely at Lucknow airport at around 8:52 am.
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After the aircraft landed, the airport’s emergency response teams were deployed. Firefighters and technical experts reached the aircraft and carried out an inspection. At around 9.02 am, all 155 passengers and crew members were deboarded from the aircraft.
The initial inspection did not find any signs of smoke or fire inside the aircraft. Officials are now examining why the smoke detection alarm was triggered despite no visible indication of smoke. The aircraft was subsequently moved to an airport stand for further technical checks.
The latest incident comes amid several aviation-related events reported in Uttar Pradesh over the past two years.
On August 19, 2026, an IndiGo aircraft reportedly experienced a tail strike while landing at Gorakhpur airport. The pilot took the aircraft back into the air before making a second landing after receiving clearance from ATC.
On January 21, 2026, a small Indian Air Force aircraft had to make an emergency landing in a pond in Prayagraj following a technical problem. Both pilots escaped safely using parachutes.