Cyclone Fengal: IndiGo Flight Aborts Landing Midway On Chennai Airport Runway Amid High Winds | WATCH

Adverse weather conditions caused by Cyclone Fengal led to a close call for an IndiGo Airbus A320 neo at Chennai airport on Saturday evening.

The plane had difficulty completing its landing, as shown in a viral video. Just as it was about to touch down, with its wheels inches from the ground, the pilot aborted the landing and took off again.

Photo Credit: https://x.com/aviationbrk

An aviation account shared the video on X, noting, "Challenging conditions at Chennai International airport as Cyclone Fengal makes landfall near Puducherry and is expected to cross the Tamil Nadu coasts in the next three to four hours."

"The cyclonic storm brought heavy rains to the coastal districts, flooding houses and hospitals," the post added.

Chennai airport authorities had issued an operational suspension notice, stating, "Following consultations with AAI Headquarters and feedback from stakeholders, it has been decided to extend the closure of operations through a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) until 0400 IST on 1st December 2024. Passengers are advised to check with their airlines regarding their flights."

The video of the IndiGo flight quickly gained over 100,000 views, with many users reacting to the intense moment.

"Horrific decision from the pilot there, massive risk - should have gone around," one user commented, while another said, "That wing can't have been more than just a few inches away from clipping the ground."

"That was a split-second decision, I mean, wow! That's why they earn big bucks and they are well deserved," another user wrote.

Chennai airport resumed operations after 4 am on Sunday, with several airlines, including IndiGo, restarting their flights. However, many passengers reported delayed or cancelled flights.

IndiGo's response

After the video went viral, an IndiGo spokesperson issued a statement, explaining that the cockpit crew of flight 6E-683, travelling between Mumbai and Chennai, had performed a "go-around" on 30th November, in line with safety protocols.

"This is a standard and safe manoeuvre, and our pilots are thoroughly 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," the spokesperson told ANI.

The airline further reaffirmed its "commitment to the safety of our passengers, aircraft, and crew members."

Cyclone Fengal

Cyclone Fengal made landfall on the north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts late on Saturday night, completing its landfall process around 2 am on Sunday.

According to the India Meteorological Department, the cyclone is expected to slowly move westward and gradually weaken into a deep depression over the north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the next few hours.

The weather department observed that the storm had remained stationary over these regions for six hours.

Meanwhile, the Indian Army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) began relief operations at 6 am.