IndiGo flight 6E6715, originally scheduled to depart Mumbai at 8:20 pm, took off more than an hour late, at approximately 9:39 pm. The extremely poor visibility caused by the dense fog led pilots to prioritize safety by returning to Mumbai.
At 2:19 am, the aircraft finally landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, leaving over 180 passengers in the air for about 4.48 hours, as reported by The Times of India.
Passengers faced a long and confusing night without a clear understanding of the situation. Onboard was chartered accountant Rachit Goyal, who noted that although passengers had alerted airline staff about the foggy conditions in Chandigarh prior to departure, the flight proceeded late and eventually returned, further extending their travel time.
Many passengers reported confusion and protests when they landed back in Mumbai due to the decision to circle and return. Several voiced their frustration over the lack of information both during and after the flight.
The delay and diversion resulted in many missing their connections, forcing them to quickly arrange alternate travel plans.
To alleviate the inconvenience, IndiGo arranged for customers to continue their journey to Delhi on separate flights while maintaining the original fare. Many had to arrange their own transportation from Delhi to Chandigarh, often opting for road taxis. One passenger, Manuj Sharma, mentioned that he left Mumbai at 7:05 am and arrived in Delhi around 9 am.
This incident occurred amidst ongoing heavy fog in north India, which significantly disrupted air navigation. The adverse weather conditions continued to affect visibility at multiple airports, leading to delays, cancellations, and diversions of numerous flights to and from major cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur, and Hyderabad.
Reports indicate that around 30 aircraft, comprising 15 departures and 15 arrivals, experienced delays ranging from 15 minutes to over an hour at Chandigarh airport, with five to six flights being temporarily diverted until conditions improved. Authorities have been advising travelers to proactively check flight statuses and arrive early to avoid unexpected travel disruptions.
Fog continued to disrupt operations on Tuesday morning, with IndiGo flights arriving from Bengaluru and Abu Dhabi being forced to hover at the airport for an extended duration before being cleared for landing.
