Srinagar, May 21: A Delhi-to-Srinagar IndiGo flight carrying more than 220 passengers encountered severe turbulence due to a hailstorm on Wednesday evening, prompting the pilot to declare an emergency and alert air traffic control in Srinagar.
Despite the mid-air scare, the flight, identified as IndiGo 6E2142, landed safely at Srinagar airport around 6:30 PM. All 227 passengers and the aircrew were reported safe, according to officials from the Airports Authority of India.
The airline has since grounded the aircraft, declaring it "Aircraft on Ground" (AOG)—a term used when a plane is not airworthy due to technical reasons.
Videos circulating on social media captured moments of chaos inside the cabin, with passengers audibly panicked and reciting prayers as the aircraft was battered by hail.
One passenger, Owais Maqbool Hakeem, took to social media platform X to describe the ordeal. “It was a near-death experience... the nose of the plane is damaged,” he wrote, also claiming that the right side of the aircraft was affected and that security personnel prevented passengers from getting a closer look after landing.
While there has been no official confirmation about the extent of the damage, the airline has not yet issued a formal statement regarding the incident.
