An Air India Express flight traveling from Varanasi to Delhi made an emergency landing at Lucknow airport on Thursday morning. This precautionary measure was taken after a smoke detection alarm was activated in the aircraft’s cargo hold, according to sources familiar with the situation. No injuries have been reported among passengers or crew members.
However, preliminary checks at Lucknow airport found no sign of smoke or fire in the aircraft, they added. Shortly after take-off, the smoke detection alarm in the cargo hold was activated, following which the pilot contacted Lucknow Air Traffic Control (ATC) and sought permission to land. The aircraft was subsequently moved to a hanger for inspection.
Flight IX 1253, with 155 passengers onboard, took off from Varanasi airport around 8 am. The aircraft landed at Lucknow airport at 8:52 am, following which the airport’s response team, fire brigade personnel and technical experts reached the aircraft. All 155 passengers and crew members were deboarded at 9:02 am, sources said.
Preliminary checks found no signs of smoke or fire inside the aircraft, sources said, adding that an investigation is underway to determine the reason for the activation of the smoke alarm. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
