As one of its Airbus A320 neo flights experienced a close shave in Chennai amid Cyclone Fengal, IndiGo said that the “go-around is a standard and safe manoeuvre.”
The 6E 683 flight, which arrived in the city from Mumbai, struggled to land on the runway due to the high speed winds and rains in the southern state. With just inches away from the ground, the flight aborted landing and flew off once again, the video of which has gone viral on social media.
While many netizens questioned the timing of the flight’s arrival, many also praised the pilot’s decision to not land at the Chennai airport.
The airline issued a statement addressing the manoeuvre and said that the go-around was executed in accordance with the prescribed safety protocols.
“Due to adverse weather conditions, including rain and strong, gusty winds (which later led to the closure of Chennai airport), the cockpit crew of flight 6E 683, operating between Mumbai and Chennai, executed a go-around on November 30, 2024, in accordance with established safety protocols,” an IndiGo spokesperson said.
“This is a standard and safe manoeuvre,” the airline said, adding that, “Our pilots are extensively trained to handle such situations with the utmost professionalism.”
“A go-around is performed when a safe landing cannot be achieved, as was the case with this flight. We would like to reaffirm our commitment to the safety of our passengers, aircraft, and crew members,” the spokesperson added.
Notably, the Chennai airport had suspended its operations till Sunday 4 am due to the cyclonic storm, Fengal.
The cyclonic storm crossed the north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts late on Saturday night and completed the landfall process around 2 am on Sunday. Shortly after this, airport operations were resumed.
IndiGo had also announced resumption of its flight operations, saying that it was working towards restoring the full schedule. The airlines, however, asked its fliers to keep a close watch on their flight status as the weather could remain unstable.