New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) An Akasa Air flight from Bengaluru to Bhubaneswar made an emergency landing at Lucknow International Airport after being diverted due to adverse weather conditions at its destination.
Flight QP 1503, operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, was carrying 194 passengers and crew members when it encountered unfavourable weather conditions over Bhubaneswar, making landing unsafe. As a result, the flight was diverted to Lucknow.
However earlier reports claimed that the aircraft declared a “PAN PAN” alert with Air Traffic Control at around 9:02 PM on May 27 after fuel levels became low during the diversion.
The pilot-in-command requested priority clearance and sought a clear approach for landing in a single attempt due to fuel constraints.
Following the alert, Air Traffic Control declared a full emergency and activated standard emergency response procedures, the earlier report claimed.
Crash fire tenders were deployed and positioned along the runway within minutes as a precautionary measure.
The aircraft landed safely on runway 09 at Lucknow International Airport. Soon after landing, the pilot informed ATC that all operations were normal and no assistance was required, as per the report.
However, Akasa Air confirmed that the flight was diverted because weather conditions at Bhubaneswar were not suitable for landing.
“Akasa Air flight QP 1503 operating from Bengaluru to Bhubaneswar was diverted to Lucknow due to adverse weather conditions, which were not favourable for landing,” the airline said.
“The pilot followed all established operational and safety protocols in line with standard procedures. The flight subsequently departed from Lucknow and landed safely in Bhubaneswar at 00:02 hrs on 28 May 2026,” it added.
Airport officials said all emergency and safety procedures were carried out efficiently and no untoward incident occurred during the operation.
“At Akasa Air, the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority. We regret the inconvenience caused due to circumstances beyond our control and appreciate our passengers’ understanding,” the spokesperson added.
–IANS
pk