Passengers of IndiGo flights at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport faced major inconvenience on Sunday after a technical snag disrupted operations of around three flights. A potential mishap was averted when a fuel leak was detected from an aircraft’s nose wheel just moments before take-off.
According to airport sources, the Nagpur–Goa flight, scheduled to depart around 11 am, was ready for take-off with passengers already on board when the technical team noticed fuel leaking from the nose wheel. The aircraft was immediately pulled back to the parking bay as a precaution, and all passengers were safely deboarded.
Following the incident, the aircraft has been grounded at Nagpur airport and will remain out of service until detailed inspections and repairs are completed.
The issue had a cascading impact on other flights. Over 130 passengers booked on a Nagpur–Mumbai flight were left stranded, many with urgent travel plans. With no immediate alternative available before 6.40 pm, passengers struggled to find options. Some tried shifting to a Navi Mumbai-bound flight, but limited seat availability made it difficult. Eventually, IndiGo arranged a larger aircraft with 236 seats to accommodate passengers from the affected Mumbai flights.
Meanwhile, the airline deployed an alternative aircraft for the Goa route, departing around 1 pm. However, the disruption significantly delayed the Nagpur–Mumbai flight (6E 462), originally scheduled for 12.55 pm, stretching the delay to nearly six and a half hours.
Passengers were informed about the delays via email and messages. The disruption occurred because the aircraft initially assigned to the Mumbai route was diverted to operate the Goa flight, leading to a chain reaction across schedules.
👉 Click here to read the latest Gujarat news on TheLiveAhmedabad.com