New Delhi: An Indore-bound Air India Express flight from Delhi suffered a mid-air engine fault on Friday, prompting the pilots to make a ‘PAN-PAN’ call to Air Traffic Control before landing safely with all passengers unharmed. The internationally recognised ‘PAN-PAN’ signal is used in aviation to indicate an urgent but non-life-threatening situation, requiring immediate support from air traffic control or ground services.
Officials said the flight, IX 1028, was carrying 161 passengers when the crew noticed a suspected oil filter issue during descent into Indore. Following aviation protocol, the pilots immediately alerted ATC and carried out precautionary measures. The aircraft later touched down safely at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport with a delay of about 20 minutes.
“Due to a suspected oil filter issue during descent into Indore, following standard operating procedures, the crew landed safely. Our pilots are well trained to carry out such precautionary measures,” an Air India Express spokesperson said in a statement. The airline also confirmed that all 161 passengers and crew members were safe.
“The crew of this plane with flight number IX 1028 and all passengers on board are completely safe,” the spokesperson added. This is the second such mid-air scare reported in recent weeks. An IndiGo flight travelling from Delhi to Goa had to make an emergency landing at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport after experiencing an engine issue.
On July 19, an Air India Express flight to Phuket had to return to Hyderabad soon after take-off because of a technical problem. The airline said in a statement that the crew acted with caution and decided to bring the plane back to Hyderabad to ensure safety.
Air India Express, which operates Boeing 737 Max aircraft on domestic and international routes, has stressed that passenger safety remains its highest priority.